A Wish for the Dark One
by CharlotteAshmore
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin loathes fairies until he meets the most willful one of them all, Belle. Even though it's forbidden for a fairy to help the Dark One, Belle will risk her magic as well as her wings to help him find his son. But will granting the Dark One's wish be enough to win his heart?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a work of pure fiction. All characters and events depicted in this story are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

 **Tags: *** Belle/Rumpelstiltskin, *Baelfire, *Rheul Ghorm, *Peter Pan, *Maleficent, *Angst, *Fluff, *AU, *True Love, *Romance

 **Summary:** Rumpelstiltskin loathes fairies until he meets the most willful one of them all, Belle. Even though it's forbidden for a fairy to help the Dark One, Belle will risk her magic as well as her wings to help him find his son. But will granting the Dark One's wish be enough to win his heart?

 **A/N:** This was written for Ethereal Wishes. This was her prompt. Hope you enjoy it, love.

This story was originally posted under a different title. It has hence been renamed, re-edited, and now reposted. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

A Wish for the Dark One

By:

CharlotteAshmore

 **I**

High above, on the uppermost limbs of the great pines which surrounded the Dark Castle, she sat, tiny and insignificant to the great beasts of the forest. But she wasn't concerned with what lurked in the shadows below. Her attention was focused on the man she spied through the open window of the highest tower as he moved about in his agitation.

He was rarely still, constantly moving back and forth, gesturing with grand flourishes of his elegant spinner's hands and most times talking to himself. She knew he couldn't be speaking to anyone high in his tower, for he seldom opened the doors of the castle to visitors. He fascinated her, this current Dark One. It had been too many centuries since she could recall being captivated by anything … much less anyone.

But this human, who had been taken over by the Dark One's entity, was different. He hadn't taken on the curse for wealth or fame or unimaginable power. No, he had sacrificed himself to the evil in order to save his son. It had been a noble gesture, but one which was slowly destroying the good in him, a good she could see as clearly as the branch she sat upon. But how long would he be able to bear it before the light in his heart was completely consumed by the darkness?

"Here again, Violet?" her mentor asked, perching on the branch next to her. "No good will come of you spying on the Dark One. You cannot breach his wards unless he calls for your help and even if he did so, you are forbidden to go to his aid."

"Belle, my name is Belle," the violet fairy stated stubbornly. "And why must I stay away? He needs someone to guide him on this path he's chosen. If we won't help him, who will?"

"Our kind is forbidden to help the monster known as the Dark One. He is evil personified. There is no good in him," Blue said stiffly, unused to having her commands questioned. "Besides, he doesn't want our help."

"He's so lonely, Blue, my heart aches for him. There is such a sadness about him," Belle replied, her voice barely a whisper as she felt the moisture gather in her eyes as it always did when she watched him. "I want to help him. I want to bring joy back to his life."

Blue reached out and gripped her pupil's chin roughly in her hand. "You cannot help him, Violet. He is beyond your reach. Would you really risk your wings … your magic … to help one such as he? You would become human again … for _him_ _?_ For a creature who would happily rip the wings from your back and watch you bleed to death?" she hissed angrily.

"There _is_ good in him, Blue. He just needs someone to show him it still exists in his heart."

"Rubbish. I will not tolerate this from you, Violet. You are to return to the glade at once and are suspended from duty for no less than a fortnight. And I will hear no more from you on the so-called virtue of the Dark One." The queen of the fairies drew herself to her full diminutive height and glared fiercely.

Belle's clear cerulean eyes flashed angrily, but she held her tongue. It would do no good to argue and risk losing her magic. How would she be able to help him if she were powerless, after all? Glittering wings expanded on her back as she hovered momentarily over the branch. She nodded to the Blue Fairy and with one last yearning look at the man in the castle's window, she disappeared with a faint pop.

Belle breathed a sigh of relief as she perched once again in the very tops of the pines surrounding the Dark Castle. It had been two hellishly long weeks since she'd been able to leave the glade she and the other fairies called home. A fortnight since she had been able to gaze upon the imp who captivated her so. It had taken her that long to realize what she felt for the Dark One wasn't a simple obsession. She loved him. It was unfeasible for her to love him; fairies weren't capable of love any more than a demon or a dwarf. But how else could she describe the longing she felt towards him? She dreamed of being able to sit and talk with him, to have him share his stories with her, and to tell her why he was always so sad. She didn't want to dwell on the more physical attraction she felt for him or the dreams which plagued her. If she did, she just might go mad from wanting.

She struggled with the feelings which overwhelmed her, never having had to deal with such in the five centuries that she'd been a fairy. Her heart was not supposed to flutter pleasantly in her chest at the mere sight of the Dark One. Her fingertips were not supposed to itch with the desire to touch his green-gold skin, to see for herself if it was as textured as it seemed. And she was definitely not supposed to yearn to card her fingers through his hair to experience its softness for herself.

But what made her ache was the desire to press her lips to his and lose herself in a kiss filled with hope and passion which would bring joy back to his life and quench the fire he'd ignited in her blood. She'd thought long and hard about her own immortality as she'd spent hours contemplating the Dark One's situation. If she could somehow help him, she'd happily give it up. She would fall from grace for him and become human.

All he had to do was ask.

Rumpelstiltskin upended the table in his workroom, sending an assortment of potion bottles, dried herbs and books scattering to the floor of his tower room. For good measure, he gave it a swift kick and sent it crashing into the bookcase. For centuries he'd worked diligently to find the path, the one true course which would reunite him with his son … all to no avail.

Long ago, he'd trusted that devious wretch of a seer, taking her at her word the only way to journey to the land with no magic would be to cast a curse dark enough to rip apart the realms. There had to be another way! But if there was, why hadn't he been able to find it?

The one man he could call friend in this world, Jefferson, the realm jumper, had brought him countless magical items in hopes he could help. That, too, had proved fruitless. Some days … years if he thought about it … the only thing which kept him from losing his sanity was the knowledge of his own foresight which assured him he would indeed be reunited with Baelfire. But how? If that loathsome sanctimonious jellyfish of a Blue Fairy hadn't interfered and given Bae that blasted magic bean, he wouldn't be going through this. His boy would be at his side and they would be happy … a family … as it should be. He would have found a way to break his curse without having to leave the realm … eventually.

"Blasted fairies!" he seethed, moving to the open window. He braced his palms on the window sill and breathed deeply of the crisp clean night air, trying to quell his rage. If there was a way to rid the entire realm of those annoying little bugs, he would happily set himself general of the army to wipe them out. Thinking about annihilating an entire species helped greatly to rid him of his anger and brought a sinister smile to his face. "I will find you, Bae. I will get you back. I just need a little help. That's all I wish for, Bae, just a little help."

Before he was able to grasp the windows to pull them closed, a blinding streak of violet light raced over the castle walls, across the grounds and through the window, smacking him with the force of an anvil in the center of his chest. With an _oomph_ , he crashed to the floor to land on his leather-clad backside, stunned speechless. His head hurt with the force it had hit the floorboards and brought stars to dance behind his closed lids.

It was the weight of another body lying atop his own which brought him back to his senses, and his dark bronze-colored eyes flew open to stare in astonishment at the lovely chestnut-haired beauty laying in his arms. _His arms?_

"Well it's about time you asked for help, Rumpelstiltskin," she cooed in her bell-like voice, a sound which reminded him of wind chimes.

Her eyes were deep oceans of the clearest blue he'd ever seen, eyes he could have drowned in had he not been filled with fury. "I did NOT ask for help from a bloody fairy," he snapped, shoving her over onto the hardwood floor.

She landed on her behind and scowled up at him in offense. "You don't have to be so mean. I'm only here to help now that you've called for me."

"I did not … why the hell am I even debating the issue with you?" he asked, more of himself than of her. His magic crackled to life, ready to be called, but she had her wand out, immobilizing him before he could lift his hand to strike.

Belle tsked at him and smiled. "None of that, Rumpel … do you mind if I call you Rumpel … Rumpelstiltskin is quite the mouthful, I must say," she rambled, nervous now that she was finally in his presence. How long had she wished to be with him in such close proximity and now that same closeness was turning her into a babbling idiot. Oh, how her sister fairies would relish the thought of _miss-know-it-all_ reduced to a quivering mass of nerves. Her teeth worried her lower lip as she stepped forward and reached out to brush the hair away from his eyes. It was just as soft as she'd always imagined, and she had to bite hard on her lip to keep the moan from rising to her lips.

His eyes flashed angrily at her, promising retribution once he was free of her magic. Her spell was already weakening due to her distraction and she had no time to waste if she were to keep her head intact. "You _did_ ask for help; I heard you. At great risk to my person I've decided to grant your wish to help you find … Baelfire? I believe that was the name you spoke."

His brows drew together in vexation as he stared at the curious creature before him. At least she wasn't dressed in one of those horrid jellyfish costumes, he thought. No, the sparkly violet dress she wore left her shapely legs bare, the sectioned skirt - resembling the petals of a flower - hit her mid-thigh. The neckline plunged in a deep vee, showing her ample cleavage off to her advantage and the fact that there were no sleeves left her lovely arms free of ornament. Deep purple bangles which shone in the candlelight of the tower room adorned her delicate wrists and a simple pearl pendant hung from her bare throat. She was the loveliest woman he'd ever seen in his very long existence and he was horrified to feel his body responding in kind. He was growing hard with wanting … a bloody fairy! If he could have made a sound, it would have been a groan. She had to go … now!

And it was not helping matters when she looked at him with tenderness in the depths of her eyes as she continued to stroke his hair. _Free me, dearie, and I've give you something else to stroke._ He gave himself a mental shake, cursing himself for his wayward thoughts. It had been a good twenty years since he'd let himself feel anything for the opposite sex and he wasn't about to start now over this mere slip of a girl … _fairy_ , he reminded himself.

"Always so sad or angry. Has it been so long that you've forgotten how to smile?" she murmured as she searched his face. "Let me help you find it again?" Though she knew it would be a mistake, she stepped away from him and released him from her spell.

His hand was at her throat before she could blink as he pushed her up against his spinning wheel with his fierce grip. "How dare you come into my home uninvited and use your magic on me!?" he raged.

Belle, with her strength failing along with her vision, gave him a sharp jab in the ribs with her wand. It wasn't enough to hurt him - hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do - but it gave him a little jolt, enough to gain her release. She collapsed to the floor in a heap, coughing and fighting to catch her breath. "I couldn't have entered the Dark Castle without an invitation. You know that," she rasped out.

Rumpelstiltskin rubbed the fingers of his right hand together against his thumb in a sign of marked irritation she would know that. When he realized what he was doing, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Get out! I neither need nor want help from the likes of you. Should I be expecting Rheul Ghorm to momentarily be beating down my door?"

Belle rose shakily to her feet and smoothed her hand over her short skirt, ignoring him for the moment and taking in his dimly lit sanctuary, sneezing just looking at the dust which covered every surface. "Blue doesn't know I'm here. If she did … well, I'd rather not say what she'd do to me."

"Then why are you here, dearie?" he asked, still in a quandary over her motives for invading his home. "Never mind. Just go!"

"No."

"Did you just tell me _no?_ You'll get out or I'll throw you out!"

"I don't think so. And don't you dare try, Rumpel. I can't leave until I've granted your wish," she informed him, moving to the door and leaving him gaping at her retreating form.

Now that she'd obeyed his request, he visibly relaxed. _Is she humming?_ He took a hesitant step toward the door, then another and another until he was following her down the tower steps and into the corridor which led towards the kitchens. "The door is that way," he pointed out, wasting his breath because he was certain she was paying him no mind.

She hummed a merry little tune all the way to the kitchen and set about making tea and raiding his food locker. "Do you have any honey?"

"Honey?" _What the hell?_

"Yes, you know, the sweet thick gooey stuff bees make?" she asked, speaking as if he were a simpleton.

He arched a brow and smirked at her, reaching past her and taking a jar from the shelf. Belle's breath hitched as her eyes drifted to his chest, bared by the deep vee of his shirt mere inches from her lips. Gooseflesh erupted down the length of her body and she was forced to twine her fingers together to stop herself from reaching for him.

He was further intrigued by the blush which rose up her neck to stain the apples of her cheeks. "Hot, dearie?"

"Y-Yes," she stammered, relieved when he moved back into the kitchen proper. "A bit warm in here," she offered lamely. She followed him and shut the door behind her, arms laden with bread, cheese, a crock of butter and some cured ham she'd found in the locker. It would have only taken a moment to whip up a sumptuous meal using fairy magic, but she was stalling for time.

The kettle whistled, and Rumpelstiltskin left her at the table to retrieve it from the hook over the fire. "I didn't think fairies had need for food," he snarked, watching her drizzle honey over the buttered bread she had on her plate.

"We don't normally, but I have developed a taste for honey and fresh baked bread over the years," she replied, her voice like a warm caress to his frazzled nerves. How long had it been since he'd been in the company of someone who didn't fear him? She was a pleasant surprise. All the more reason to see the back of her walking out his door. "Aren't you going to join me, Rumpel?"

His teeth gnashed together at the shortened version of his name falling from her rosebud lips, but he didn't chastise her. Instead, he sat next to her at the table and wrapped some cheese and ham in a slice of the bread, waiting to see what she had to say. "Well, out with it, dearie."

Belle's eyes closed, and a dreamy sigh of pure bliss escaped her as she bit into the honey-covered bread. His mouth gaped open and he could feel his traitorous body responding to her again, much as it had in the tower. _What is wrong with me?_ he thought frantically. _I cannot be attracted to a fucking fairy!_ He groaned and then prayed she hadn't heard his lapse of sanity.

"Are you going to tell me what makes you _think_ I asked for your help? Or are you just going to eat up all the food in my pantry and perhaps take a nap in the library?" he asked snippily, crumbs flying at her as he flourished the hand holding his sandwich.

Belle eyed him over the rim of her teacup and sighed wearily. "Must I explain everything to you, Rumpel? I heard you ask for help to find someone named Baelfire. And here I am," she said simply.

"What if I don't want _your_ help?"

"Then why did you ask for it?"

"I didn't!"

"You did! Otherwise, I wouldn't have come," she retorted with an infuriatingly beautiful smile.

He pushed himself away from the table and moved to stir the fire in the hearth before he did something stupid … like haul her onto his lap and kiss her senseless. _Gah!_ "Why would you want to help me?"

"Because I want you to smile again," she murmured softly.

The Dark One turned to stare at her and let his lips curl upwards into a feral smile. "There, I've smiled, happy?"

"No. I want to see you smile with your eyes, Rumpel. I want you to be happy. I'm tired of seeing you so sad and angry all the time," she admitted.

"Why you spying little harpy!" he fumed.

"You fascinate me. I just came off probation for watching over you. Blue didn't like it one bit," Belle shook her head, offering her own sad smile as she ignored his outburst.

"I ought to carve the wings from your back and use them in one of my potions," he snarled, his anger rising once again in his breast. Who knew what she might have witnessed him doing through his tower window.

She waved a hand dismissively, unafraid of his wrath. "So, tell me about Baelfire. Where is he that you can't find him?" she asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. "I need a bit more information if I'm going to help you."

With a snarl in her direction, he turned on his heel and made his way out of the kitchen, taking a left out of the foyer and climbing the stairs to his tower room. But instead of going up to his workroom once he'd gained the corridor on the third floor, he turned to go to his bedchamber. She wouldn't dare to disturb him there even if she were able to find it. He opened the door and used a bit of magic to change his clothes into a pair of soft calf-length cotton pants and a black silk tunic for sleeping.

What was it about the little bug which had him so riled, aside from the very fact she was a fairy? He wondered if his insane attraction to her was the only reason he hadn't squashed her and rid himself of her annoying presence, or if he had succumbed to something different … something so foreign he dared not put a name to it. No, hope was not something he ever let himself feel. He merely went through the motions of his existence without ever letting hope play a part in it. There was no hope for him. But what if she _could_ help him?

He slammed his fist into one of the posts on the massive four poster bed in his chamber with an audible crack. "Damn her!"

"There's really no reason to resort to violence, Rumpel," her bell-like voice chimed throughout the room.

Rumpelstiltskin wheeled around and pinned her to the spot with his cold stare. She was perched upon one of his armchairs by the hearth, a warm smile upon her lips and her feet curled up beneath her. In _his_ favorite chair. She looked as though she belonged there and that thought disturbed him more than it should. "Do you have no notion of a man's privacy?" he snarled, advancing on her to show her out the door.

Belle waved a hand dismissively. He found she did that a lot, as if his anger were of no consequence to her. "I'm perfectly safe here with you, Rumpel. I've watched you for a long time and if there's one thing I've learned about you, it's that you are no ravisher of women. Won't you sit here with me, so we can talk?"

Rumpelstiltskin was taken aback by her confession. What could possibly instill such trust of him in her? She was either extremely brave or incredibly stupid. How could she not know just how much he desired her delectable form if she were as intuitive as she claimed. Shaking himself from his reverie, he glared down at her. "You're in my chair."

Belle arched a brow and tried not to laugh at the petulant pout on his thin lips. She rose to her feet and moved to sit in the chair opposite him. Yet, still, he remained standing, his wide eyes following her every move. After several moments of silence where only the crackling of the fire could be heard, she asked, "Well aren't you going to sit down?"

He flopped into the worn leather armchair and stared at her, his brows drawn together in a frown as he continued to try to deduce her motives for wanting to help him. Anyone else would be shifting uncomfortably under the weight of his malevolent gaze, yet she seemed unfazed by it. "You're not going to leave until I let you help, are you?" he asked, stunned at the question which fell from his lips. He had only been thinking it and hadn't meant to speak it aloud.

Belle smiled brightly, and he could swear he could count every one of her teeth. "No, I'm not. You don't realize how long I've waited for you to ask for my help and I will not abandon you in your hour of need," she affirmed softly. "Now tell me about Baelfire."

The all-powerful Dark One shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a low growl issuing forth from his lips. He had never shared his tale with another living soul and he wasn't about to start now. Yet, something in her smile and the sincere offer of friendship in her warm gaze called to him. "Baelfire is my son, dearie. And because of Rheul Ghorm, your illustrious leader," he sneered, "he was lost to me."

"He was the reason you took on the curse of the Dark One," she said, sympathy for his plight coloring her tone. "What did Blue have to do with him being lost?"

He gazed into the fire, the flames casting flickering shadows across his face. "He didn't like what I'd become. I frightened him," he explained in a low tone, the shrill high pitch to the voice of the Dark One giving way to something more natural. "He became obsessed with finding a way to break my curse, but when he wasn't able to find one, he asked Rheul Ghorm for help."

"But only True Love's Kiss would be able to break your curse … or if someone killed you with the dagger."

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. "Yes, dearie, I know this. And you should have seen the droves of women just lining up to kiss me," he replied, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. "Look at me! Who would want to kiss the beast I've become?" _Or the cowardly spinner I was before, for that matter?_

 _I would._ "What did Blue do when Baelfire asked for her help?" she asked, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair and propping her chin in her hand.

"She told him of a land with no magic, one where I would lose my power and become human again. She gave him a magic bean, the last one in existence, to take us there."

"Is that where he is now?" she asked, her brows disappearing into her hairline in surprise. It wasn't like Blue to give up something so precious to a mere mortal. She hoarded her trove of treasures like a dragon and would part with them under only the direst of circumstances.

"As far as I know," he murmured absently, wishing she would leave off from the questioning. It had been days since he'd slept, and the constant barrage of questions was making him weary.

"Why didn't you go with him, Rumpel?" she asked, her heart breaking as the mask he wore slipped and she was able to glimpse the full weight of his pain.

"Because I'm a coward. I was afraid if we went to this new land, I would lose my power to protect him. I didn't want to be a cowardly spinner anymore, incapable of protecting my boy. I made a poor choice and I've paid for it from the moment the portal closed," he spat bitterly. "I've spent centuries trying to find a way to him."

Belle slipped out of her chair to kneel at his feet, taking his hand in hers and holding it to her cheek. "I don't think you're a coward, Rumpelstiltskin. You took on a curse to save your son from war and death, sacrificing your very soul in the process. I think you are very brave."

A warmth spread through his chest at her words which had nothing to do with the effect her touch had on his body and he stared down at her in awe. He was so very tired. Sleep was not something which came easily to him, what with the nightmares which plagued him. He needed sleep if he were to solve the puzzle that was the little violet fairy who supplicated herself at his feet. "You should be going … I don't even know your name," he said, withdrawing his hand from her grasp.

She smiled gently. "It's Belle; my name is Belle."

"Well, it's late and I'm sure you have better things to do than nag me with your endless questions."

Belle offered her hand to him and pulled him to his feet, giving him a gentle shove towards his bed. "I haven't. Go, sleep and I will watch over you tonight."

"You are _not_ staying here," he insisted as he climbed into his bed.

"When is the last time you actually had a decent rest?" she asked imperiously, refusing to let him bully her into doing what he wanted.

His eyes were already so heavy he could barely hold them open. He didn't have the will to fight her any longer as she pulled the coverlet up to his chin and climbed onto the mattress to lie beside him. "Dunno."

Belle propped her head on her hand and carded the fingers of her other hand through his hair as he drifted off. "I won't leave you, Rumpel. I _will_ find some way to reunite you with your son," she vowed and settled in to watch him sleep.

 **A/n:** I really hope y'all are ready to come with me on another journey through fic :D Thank you to everyone reading. I really want to know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

The sun was high in the sky when Belle's eyes fluttered open. She took her wand and flicked the curtains open, gauging the time to be just before noon. She needed the sunlight and Rumpelstiltskin kept his castle entirely too dark. Speaking of the wily sorcerer, Belle glanced down, her mouth forming a perfect 'o' of surprise. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, and she certainly hadn't meant for the Dark One to use her for a pillow. Heat rose in her cheeks to stain them a bright crimson at having him in one of the many positions she'd dreamed of so many nights. His arms were wrapped tightly about her torso and his head was pillowed between her breasts, soft snores emitting from him every so often. It made her wonder again when last it was he'd had a decent night's sleep.

She wasn't able to still her hands as they reached for him, her left stroking over his jaw and caressing him with her thumb and her right delving into his soft curls to gently rake her nails over his scalp and nape. She didn't think she would ever tire of touching him. If only he would permit her to do so when he was awake. Her breath hitched in her chest as he began to stir, his nose dipping into her bosom as he rubbed his face back and forth over her skin. He pressed his nose into her palm as she continued to stroke his cheek, unconsciously seeking her touch.

Belle could tell the moment he shook off the last remnants of sleep, his head shooting up and his wide eyes darting to hers before they narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing in my bed?" he asked, his voice raspy with sleep.

She stretched languorously and yawned now that she wasn't pinned to the mattress by his body. "Good morning, Rumpel. I suppose I fell asleep," she said sweetly, stating the obvious in case he hadn't figured it out for himself.

Rumpelstiltskin rolled to the side and swung his bare feet over the side of the bed, waving a magical hand over himself and banishing his nightclothes to be replaced with his leathers and silks. "Where are my boots? What did you do with my boots?" he asked, his dark bronze colored eyes filled with accusation. She'd cleaned his room? When had she had time to clean? But then she had her own brand of magic and it shouldn't have been too difficult. He couldn't look at her right now, sprawled across his pillows as she was. He needed time to calm his racing heart and cool the fire which had ignited in his blood.

Belle chuckled and left the bed, walking around to the end of the massive structure and retrieving his boots from the floor. She held them out to him and smirked as he jerked them roughly from her hands. "You slept for nearly ten hours. I thought surely you would be in a more amiable mood this morning."

He ignored her as he began lacing up the tall boot he'd pulled onto his left foot. "I told you to go," he snapped with a petulant pull to his mouth.

"Yes, well, I'm not the most obedient fairy in the realm," she teased. He growled a warning low in his throat which she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "You need to face facts, Rumpelstiltskin. I am bound to you until your wish has been fulfilled, so you had best get used to having me around … at least for a while."

His head jerked up to stare at her in horror. "I. Don't. Want. Your. Help," he insisted, growling each word at her.

"Course, you don't," she replied dryly, smirking at him.

"Out!" he roared, anger at having his commands disobeyed coursing through his chest.

"Oh, very well," she demurred. "I must look in on my other charges anyway. But I will return this evening. I want to have a look in the archives to see if there is any information I can find on our plight."

With a quick spontaneous kiss to his cheek, she popped out of being, leaving him with a bemused expression and his hand resting over the spot where her lips had met his skin.

Rumpelstiltskin sat in his tower, his mind distracted from the tome which rested on the work table. She had only been gone for five hours, twenty-seven minutes and … _Gah! What is wrong with me? I should be happy to be rid of the little gnat!_ But he wasn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't be watching the time and waiting for her return. He'd known her for less than twenty-four hours and already she was burrowing under his skin … like a festering sore! He convinced himself it was only her assurances she could help him find Baelfire which stopped him from incinerating her on the spot. It had nothing to do with her lovely cerulean eyes filled with promise or the sweet chime of her voice or how she wasn't afraid to reach out and touch him as if her were a man instead of a monster.

"Blasted rotten fairies!" he seethed, his eyes once again drawn to the open window in his tower room.

"I beg your pardon? Having problems with the fairy population again?" Jefferson asked from the open doorway, his top hat tucked awkwardly beneath his arm.

Rumpelstiltskin whipped around, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as he waved the hatter into the room. With a wave of his hand, he produced a tea tray laden with all the fixings as well as a plate of sandwiches. The hatter was always hungry and never more so than when he came to the Dark Castle to discuss business with the Dark One.

"Just one particular fairy," he admitted, stirring two sugar cubes into the steaming brew in his cup. "She catapulted herself through the window last night with promises to help me find my son and refused to leave."

Jefferson's brows disappeared into his hairline, his surprise evident, then promptly burst into a fit of laughter. "And just how long did it take you to blow her to little tiny bits of fairy dust?" he asked, sitting back on the extra stool next to Rumpelstiltskin's work table, careful to avoid the potion brewing at its center.

"I didn't."

Jefferson's face fell, and he nearly dropped his teacup, some of the liquid splashing onto his hand and causing him to curse softly. "What? That's not like you, Rum. How many times have you told me fairies can't be trusted?"

Rumpelstiltskin stared down into his cup and sighed. "Belle isn't like any fairy I've ever encountered before. She's … well, she's … oh, hell!"

"By the gods! You're smitten with her!"

"I am not."

"Yes, you are," Jefferson grinned, quaking with laughter as he wagged a pointed finger in his friend's direction. "The mighty Dark One has fallen!"

"Shut it, Hatter," the sorcerer warned. He wasn't going to detail his strange attraction to Belle with Jefferson when he couldn't seem to explain it to himself.

"Is she pretty?" Jefferson asked, waggling his eyebrows lasciviously.

"Beautiful … with long chestnut curls and the bluest eyes I think I've ever seen. But she's nothing like the fairies we know. She's sincere and honest and …"

"… would be so easy for you to fall in love with," Jefferson finished for him, propping and elbow on the edge of the table and resting his chin in his hand.

Rumpelstiltskin arched a dubious brow at his friend. "If I were capable of such an emotion … perhaps. But you've heard Rheul Ghorm preach often enough that Dark Ones are not capable of such emotion. They do not do anything for noble purposes because they are vile and filled with hate, they do not help without wanting something in return and they are not capable of such a noble emotion as love," he quoted, having heard it repeat over and over in his nightmares on several occasions.

Jefferson's teeth gnashed together in anger. "What does she know about it? She's a fairy. They're like dwarves in the respect they aren't capable of love and I've met more than one dwarf who would beg to differ. Remember the story of Dreamy who fell for a fairy … Nova I think her name was? They married three years ago and have two children. You can't let someone tell you who you can love."

Rumpelstiltskin drained his cup and set it aside. "Yes, well, I don't foresee a future between us fraught with true love. Lust perhaps, but not love. I'm more than capable of experiencing that confounding emotion."

"So … when do I get to meet this conundrum of superior fairy delightfulness?"

"You don't!"

"Oh, why not?" he asked with a petulant pout to his full lips.

"There's no guarantee she'll even be back," the imp lied, not ready to share Belle with the hatter quite yet.

Jefferson laughed, swiping up his hat and perching it at a jaunty angle on his head. "Oh, you never know, she could surprise you. Must be off now. Alice is surely wondering why I'm late for dinner."

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. When wasn't the hatter late for something or other? He once again lifted the book of spells in his hand and double checked the ingredients for the potion he was brewing, trying not to dwell on the troublesome fairy who had blown into his life the night before.

Belle, in her tiny winged fairy form, flew through the open tower window and landed daintily on Rumpelstiltskin's dragon-hide clad shoulder, a brown leather satchel slung over her shoulder. "Hello, Rumpel … ahhh!" she screamed, cutting her greeting short as she lost her footing and slid from his shoulder and onto the book which lay upon his lap.

"What in seven hells!" he cursed, glaring down at what he had come to refer to as the bane of his existence. "Belle!"

"Sorry!" she apologized. She took on her more human form and smiled up at him from her perch on his lap. "What do you do, wax that coat? Dragon scales are already slippery enough," she admonished.

Rumpelstiltskin groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. The only thing separating them was the book she sat upon, the thin tome creating a barrier between her delectable rear and his groin. "Dearie, do you mind?" he hissed, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Oh! Yes, I suppose this is quite inappropriate," she replied, climbing off his lap and worrying her bottom lip with her pearly white teeth.

He turned to look at the blush staining her rosy cheeks and frowned. He didn't think fairies were the blushing type and this one blushed like a maid introduced to her first beau. "What are you doing here again? I don't remember inviting you back, dearie."

A gamine-like grin played at her lips as she reached up to brush a lock of hair away from his brow. "And I told you this morning I was bound to you until your wish is fulfilled." She ignored his chagrin and reached into the satchel at her side, removing a large leather-bound book with its title written in the language of the ancients.

"What's with the book?"

Belle hopped up to perch on the edge of his work table, her legs swinging to and fro. "I went today to talk to the keeper of the archives and," she said, pausing dramatically as she presented the book to him. "She said this book would have the information we seek. We should be able to use what we find to open a portal that will take you to Baelfire."

Rumpelstiltskin shoved the book back into her hands and snarled fiercely, his eyes narrowed to slits. "There's just one problem with all of this, little Belle. I don't trust you. This could be some devious ploy you've come up with to get rid of the Dark One. You could be hoping to send me to a realm where I'd never find my son _or_ a way back home."

Belle refused to let him see how much his words hurt her. She was trying so hard to show him she cared for him and his resistance was more than she'd been prepared to face. "Do you really have so little hope, Rumpel?"

He crossed the room and braced his hands on the windowsill, breathing deeply of the fresh evening air. "Hope is for the simple minded and weak."

"No! No, it's not. What do you have if you don't have hope? Nothing but grief and despair. I think it's time you let go of those and took a chance that someone out there cares for you enough to help you," she lost what remained of her self-control, her voice rising in the first signs of temper he'd seen from her. She slammed the book down on his worktable and marched through the door.

He arched a brow at her abrupt departure and set off to follow her. "Where do you think you're going now?" he called after her.

She stopped and glared at him, moisture shining in her jewel bright eyes which she wasn't quick enough to brush away before he could see it. "I'm going to prepare you some dinner. Get back up there and have a look at the potion we're going to have to make. I won't be long," she said, giving him her back and disappearing down the stairs.

"You don't have to fix me dinner, damnit!"

She didn't stop, but continued on. "Potion, now!" she ordered.

"Bossy little minx," he mumbled irritably under his breath as he climbed the stairs to the tower laboratory. He was nearly halfway there when he realized he'd let a pushy little fairy order him about. The Dark One didn't take orders from fairies. He disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, the tome clutched in his hand and was waiting for her in the kitchen when she arrived.

Belle ignored him as she disappeared into the food locker to find ingredients for a simple lamb stew, thankful a fresh loaf of sourdough bread was available to go with it. She didn't even want to know where the food came from, but she could feel his magic present, so she didn't wonder long. She set the items on the long work surface and removed a shank of lamb from the brown butcher paper it was wrapped in, her knife strokes uneven and sloppy in her anger.

"You're mutilating a perfectly good lamb shank!"

"It will cook faster off the bone and cut into smaller pieces," she argued, still refusing to look at him in her pique.

"Yes, dearie," he said rather dryly. "But if the pieces aren't even, you're working at cross purposes." He strode to her side and took her hand - which was holding the knife - in his firm grasp, pressing his body into hers at her back. "Here, hold your hand here and curl your fingers back so you don't accidentally lop off the digits," he instructed, placing his hand over hers and showing her where to hold the lamb to steady it for their knife strokes.

Belle forgot how to breathe as she felt the warmth of his body seep into her from behind. She was cocooned in his arms and every coherent thought fled from her mind. All she could concentrate on was the fact the man she loved was wrapped about her like one of his dragon-hide coats and there was no place in the realm … or any other, for that matter… she would rather be.

"Pay attention!" he snapped as her fingers unfurled and he nearly nicked her with the knife. She gave herself a mental shake and focused on his instructions once more until the lamb lay on the chopping block in perfectly sized proportions.

He didn't release her immediately as her scent … honeysuckle to be sure and something else, something all Belle … tickled his nose. She smelled better than anything in his vast flower gardens surrounding the Dark Castle, her skin, as his cheek brushed the side of her neck, softer than any wool he'd ever spun. "I'm sorry … for snapping at you earlier," he found himself saying.

Belle fought through the passion-induced haze which surrounded them and sprinkled seasoning over the meat before dumping it unceremoniously into the pot. She reached for several carrots near her elbow and began to chop them into even pieces before her voice returned to something which wouldn't reveal her obvious upset at his nearness. "I won't hurt you, Rumpel. I understand you can't trust me right now."

He straightened and moved to sit on the stool at her right, taking a paring knife and beginning to help her peel the potatoes for the stew. "So … ah … where did you learn to cook anyway? It doesn't seem a common skill for a fairy."

"Sometimes I'm away from home for months at a time and I find I like a decent meal. In some realms, those th which at are easily visited from our own, a good meal can be as valuable a commodity as gold. I thought it would be a useful skill to possess," she told him, moving the pot to the hook over the fire and adding the rest of the ingredients so they could cook slowly.

With dinner on and free time on their hands, Belle urged him to open the book to the page she'd marked for his perusal. It was a fairly simple potion and if brewed correctly would open a portal to any desired destination … even one to a land without magic. "You stole this from your archive didn't you, dearie?"

"I did," she admitted with a weary sigh. "It is a great offense to take something so valuable from the glade, especially the archive. If Blue ever found out, I could lose my wings and my wand."

He stared at her incredulously. "Why would you risk so much for … for me?" he asked, his hand coming to rest over his heart as he frowned at her.

Belle cupped his cheek and smiled warmly at him. "There's good in you, Rumpelstiltskin. I see it; I've always seen it. You just need someone to believe in you."

He stared at her for a long moment, his chest tight with unfamiliar emotions before he had to look away. He focused his attention on the pages before him and shook his head. "I don't have some of these ingredients."

"Oh? Which ones?" she asked, moving to stir the bubbling stew over the hearth.

"Um … red gold stamens from a night blooming purple orchid, pixie dust and bottled rain from a cirrus cloud? How do you fairies come up with this stuff?" he asked, agitation prominent in his features. "And even if we are able to find all the ingredients, it says here it will take two weeks for the potion to be ready."

Belle waved off his worries. "I can get the stamens tomorrow evening right there in the glade and I might be able to find the bottled rain we need as well, but the pixie dust is quite rare and valuable. I don't know if I will be able to get that for you without a price."

"What price?" he asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

She brushed her short skirt free of imaginary specks of dust, a blush staining her cheeks. "I'll tell you when the time is right," she said softly, holding her hand out to him. "Come, show me your gardens? I've only been able to look on them from afar and I would enjoy them so much the better if you would join me."

"What about dinner?" he asked, suddenly nervous to venture out into such a romantic setting with the little temptress.

She slipped her hand into his, unafraid of the sharp talons where human fingernails had once been. "It will be ready later. We have plenty of time to enjoy our walk."

Against his better judgment and wary of the feelings he was developing, he took her hand and let her lead him outside.

*.*.*

Rumpelstiltskin was losing his mind and it was all her fault. It had been three days since they had begun brewing the potion which would open the portal and she was slowing aiding him in losing his sanity. He'd watched in awe as she had shot straight up into the sky, her wand in one hand and a clear empty vial in the other to collect the bottled rain they would need, returning to him with a breathtaking smile. Her smiles did funny things to his insides which he refused to analyze for fear of seeing something which wasn't there. He still wanted her gone, but each time she left he suffered anxiety over whether or not she would return to him. She was a bossy little thing, but he had known that from the beginning. He wasn't however, expecting her to run roughshod over his life.

Each day she would leave for several hours to see to her other charges and each day she would return with another stolen … or in her words, borrowed … tome from the fairy archives. She would save them for when they retired. And that was another source of contention between them. Belle insisted she share his bed at night and would dismiss his arguments, though they were many. On the upside, he had never felt so well rested in his life, her mere presence chasing away the nightmares and allowing him to sleep peacefully.

But on the downside, he would wake in the morning, his limbs entwined with hers and find his body hard with wanting. Gods, how he wanted her, and he feared of late it wasn't just her body he craved so desperately, but her heart as well. And that was something he could ill afford. His primary focus had to be reuniting with his son. And if he caught himself thinking about what it would be like to have Belle in his life on a permanent basis, he would quickly squash the idea.

Belle was a fairy, governed by a ruthless ruler who would never let her live happily with him. He couldn't allow himself to feel more than a tentative friendship with her because the pain of losing her would be too great. Yet after three days, it already felt as though she had been with him for years. She spent every moment she could with him. She took over the chore of preparing their meals even though neither one of them needed to eat on a regular basis, but she convinced him a healthy body promoted a healthy mind. He didn't complain because he enjoyed preparing meals with her in their warm kitchen as she opened up to him and shared stories of her life over the centuries.

Belle enjoyed the vast gardens surrounding the Dark Castle and the flowers bloomed under her care. She had but to walk amongst the plants to have them open to the full extent of their beauty as if seeking her approval. Rumpelstiltskin shared the feeling and had to fight with his inner demons to stop himself from doing little things to gain her approval and affections. He would not allow himself to have hope of gaining her heart, afraid of the pain involved when they parted.

She seemed oblivious to his inner turmoil and continued on as she would, taking it upon herself to "spruce up" the castle. And being an enchanted castle, it quickly bowed to her brand of magic. There was no longer any dust covering the many surfaces and the floors shone to a sparkling shine. Everything seemed brighter, the colors richer and it was all because of his pushy little fairy. The many suits of armor which lined the corridors gleamed with a fresh coat of silver polish and he was waiting for the day they would snap to his attention as he passed them on his way up to the tower.

The books she brought from the archives, she read to him at night as he lay stiffly at her side. Her latest endeavor was to show him that light magic was much more beneficial than dark magic if he had but the patience to learn. "The Dark One doesn't do light magic, dearie," he'd sneered at the very thought.

"You don't know you can't unless you try, Rumpel," she persisted and continued on as if he hadn't just scoffed at another of her ideas. He wouldn't let her know he soaked in every word she spoke and would indeed try a few of the spells she shared with him when she wasn't looking.

After three days, he already felt in many ways that he'd taken a wife. She was in his kitchen, in his bed - if only to sleep - and had taken over the domestic side of his home. If it weren't for the raging need firing his blood due to unrequited lust, he'd believe it was true. She needed to go before he lost himself completely, but the very thought caused an uncomfortable ache in his chest in the region of his heart. And the amount of exposed skin by her fairy costume didn't help the torment he'd developed because of her in the least. No, she had to go. As soon as the potion was complete, she would have to leave. The question was … could he survive that long?

 **A/n:** So glad y'all seem to be enjoying this one! Thank you so much for the reviews :D


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

Seven days later, Belle paced nervously before Rumpelstiltskin's spinning wheel, wringing her hands as he sat, lost in his own thoughts. The long skirt of her crimson gown swirled prettily around her ankles as she turned. At least she hadn't tripped over them this time. He'd insisted if she had to stay there in the castle with him, she would be clothed properly, but the longer skirts would take some getting used to. It made her wonder if he was displeased with her shapely form. Hence her nervous pacing.

"Rumpel?"

"Hmm," he answered distractedly. He seemed to want to spend less time with her of late, disappearing on some deal or another or losing himself in his spinning. He was becoming cold and distant and it worried her. Did he really care nothing at all for her? She'd thought surely the more time she spent with him, the better the chance he might come to care for her. Now it seemed even the tentative friendship they'd developed was dwindling into mere tolerance.

"Do you remember when I told you the pixie dust needed for the potion would require a price?" she asked, hating that her voice sounded less like her usual confident tone.

The wheel creaked to a halt as his dark gaze, filled with trepidation, lifted to meet hers. "I remember," he answered, waiting for the axe to fall. She had been unusually quiet since breakfast, fidgeting and startling at the slightest sound, sure signs something was worrying her.

"Never mind," she mumbled, turning away from him. "I think I'll make us a fresh pot of tea and maybe some scones." She'd barely taken two steps toward the door leading out of the Great Hall when he stopped her.

"I don't think so, dearie. You know I've been waiting to hear what you would name as your price since you first mentioned it, and you're not leaving this room until you've told me," he stated vehemently, his voice low and filled with warning. She hesitated, wondering what he would do if she disobeyed him before she turned once again to give him her full attention. He rose from his stool before his wheel and approached her slowly, as if he were stalking his prey, his eyes raking her face, searching for answers which weren't there. "Come now, Belle, surely there is something you desire … gowns, jewels, wealth and power? Perhaps freedom from Rheul Ghorm?"

Her little pink tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips before she blurted, "A kiss."

"What?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise as if she'd just asked for a kingdom of her own by the sea in the middle of a desert.

"My price … is a kiss. I've never been kissed before, and I think it is a small price to pay for something as powerful as pixie dust," she continued to stumble over her words, lowering her gaze to the floor, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

"No. Choose something else," he argued, adamant in his refusal, his heart thundering in his chest at the very thought.

She bristled at his rejection. "How many times in your dealings do you name a price and the poor soul asks you to choose something different? My request was _not_ unreasonable, and I think it should be honored, Rumpelstiltskin."

"Why would you even ask such a thing?" he blustered, knowing if it was possible, he would be blushing just as red as she was. "Fairies don't go about requesting kisses from monsters."

 _Fairies don't fall in love either, but we are where we are._ She pressed her advantage - because everyone knew Rumpelstiltskin couldn't resist the lure of a deal - and closed the distance between them, reaching out and cupping his cheek in her palm, encouraged when he didn't immediately pull away. "Oh, Rumpel, you're not a monster. I do know my own mind, and this is what I want."

"Belle …"

"Do you find the idea so repulsive? Are you not attracted to me at all?"

"Belle …"

"Rumpel …"

"Gods, woman! It takes every ounce of willpower I possess to keep my bloody hands off you." The words flew from his mouth unbidden before he could stop them, horror at his admittance showing clearly in his eyes.

Belle's face lit up with happiness. "Y-You want me?"

He staggered backwards a step before her nearness caused him to force his foot any deeper down his throat. "What I want is irrelevant."

"But if you want me, why can't you grant this one little request?" she asked, trying to puzzle him out.

"Belle, kissing leads to other things, and I will not be responsible for losing control with you and doing more damage than good. If this is the only price you will accept, our deal is forfeit. I will simply have to find another way back to my son," he said, stubborn in his refusal.

"And if you can't, Baelfire will be lost to you forever!"

"Belle, you don't want this," he protested, his resolve weakening. How long had he yearned for her touch, the sweet taste of her lips and the feel of her body molded tightly to his? How was he to resist the temptation to have her fully?

The press of her hands sliding up his silk covered chest to wind about his neck drew him from his tortured thoughts and he stared down at her beauty with so much longing, it was painful to witness. "Just one kiss, Rumpel. That's all I ask," she purred in a pleading tone, her voice barely more than the whisper of butterfly wings. "Please."

His resolve to keep his distance and deny her, crumbled to dust beneath the weight of her plea. He closed his eyes with a groan and brushed his lips to hers once, twice with the lightest of touches. She delved her hands into his soft curls, her nails digging into the sensitive skin of his nape as she pulled him closer, molding her lips more firmly to his.

His hands splayed over her back, holding her in place as though he were afraid she would change her mind and run from him as he nipped gently at her lower lip, teasing, coaxing her to open for him. His heart beat a wild tattoo against his ribs as she tentatively touched her tongue to his. Heat unfurled in him, blazing like wildfire through his blood as he crushed her to him, but above all, he felt a lightening in his soul. He felt as if he'd finally come home and he never wanted it to end. But she wasn't for him. He couldn't allow himself to take what she so willingly offered. Nothing good ever lasted, and he couldn't bear the heartbreak he'd suffer if he allowed himself to love her. She would just be like everyone else in his life and leave him too, or he would somehow disappoint her, and he didn't think his heart could bear it.

Finally regaining his senses, he released her and strode to the ornate double doors leading out of the Great Hall. Belle gasped, fighting through the swirling emotions which threatened to bring her to her knees with the loss of his supporting arms.

"Rumpel, wait …" she called raspily at his retreating back, but he was already gone. She brushed at the tears spilling over onto her cheeks and wondered if her price had been worth the damage she may have caused to their already tenuous relationship.

*.*.*

Belle changed into her fairy garb once again as she prepared to leave for her home to gather the pixie dust, the last ingredient they would need for the potion to open the portal. She had to time her thievery down to the last possible second, so the dust would be at its full potency. She didn't want to think of what would happen to the potion if she didn't add the dust at its full strength or at the wrong time. If she were a mere second too late it wouldn't work, and they would have to start all over again. She stared up at the long winding staircase which led to Rumpelstiltskin's tower laboratory and sighed as she began the long trek upwards.

She hadn't seen him in two days … not since she'd asked her price. She couldn't, _wouldn't_ regret what had transpired between them. In the five long centuries of her life, she'd never experienced anything comparable to the feeling of his warm dry lips pressed to hers, the touch of his tongue caressing hers and the heat which had unfurled throughout every nerve ending in her body and set her heart to flight. She had loved him for so long, yet she'd never been more in love with him at that moment. She would give up her fairyhood and become human for him if he would but ask. But due to his fear, she didn't see that happening any time soon.

"Stubborn, infuriating beast!" she fumed, punctuating each word with a hard footfall against the marble steps as she climbed. She bit down on her tongue, cursing herself for resorting to name calling. He may not be a monster, but there was no doubt in her mind he could be a beast when the situation warranted … _her_ beast. And she refused to give up on him because he was afraid to let himself love her.

Belle paused on the landing to catch her breath and glared at the closed door to his sanctuary. She was weary of his avoidance and was extremely close to losing her temper. For two days he had absented himself from her presence. He'd stopped sharing meals with her and tea time and wouldn't even come to sleep next to her at night. And she was tired of having her heart ache.

She rapped her knuckles against the smooth polished oak and waited … and waited … and … "Rumpelstiltskin, may I come in?" she called. No answer. Her acute hearing could faintly detect the creak of his leathers as he sat on the stool next to his worktable. "I know you're in there." Still no answer. She was torn between tears and the violent need to stamp her foot. Unfortunately, the tears won out and she was forced to brush them away before they could spill over onto her cheeks. "Rumpel, please. Please, won't you talk to me?"

The lock clicked, and the door creaked open, leaving it wide for her to step through. She squared her shoulders and entered the room, keeping her eyes lowered to the tea tray she held in her hands and willing her courage not to desert her. He sat at his spinning wheel with his back to her, his shoulders stiff and seemingly focused on his work. She moved to stand behind him, her small hand reaching out to rest upon his shoulder. He flinched away from her touch and she withdrew with a sigh.

"I brought you some tea and a light repast," she said softly.

"Not hungry," he replied, his tone flat. He hazarded a glance at her and immediately closed his eyes when he caught a glimpse of her shapely legs bared to his lustful gaze in her fairy garb. "Going somewhere, dearie?"

"Y-Yes, I need to gather the pixie dust to add to the potion tonight. It's the last th —"

"Best be going then so we can be done with this deal and I can be finished with you," he bit out coldly.

She could feel the stinging bite of tears at her eyes, but she would _not_ let him drive her away with his acerbic tongue. "Is it really so difficult to have me around, Rumpel? I thought we got on rather well together."

"Just go, Belle. We have a schedule to keep after all."

She forced a note of cheerfulness into her tone, hoping to cajole him from his melancholy. "Think about it, Rumpel. Tonight, the potion will be ready and the portal will open to take us to your son. We will have cause to celebrate."

He stood so abruptly the bench toppled over, his eyes narrowed on her in a malevolent stare. For the first time since she had come to the castle, she was frightened of him. "What is this _we_ business, dearie? You didn't actually think I would let you come with me. Please, tell me you're not that naïve."

Belle toyed with the handle of her wand where it was safely secured in the sash at her waist. "I'd always planned on going with you," she admitted.

Rumpelstiltskin let the darkness, which always lurked at the edge of his consciousness, take him. He had to end this foolishness now and be done with it. He had to make her see they could never be together. He would end up hurting her and she would leave, so why not be done with the heartbreak. "I have never lied to you about my feelings, Belle. From the very start, I told you I didn't want your help, that I didn't want _you_. Yet you forced yourself into my life, my home and my business, regardless. When this deal is done, when your _duty_ has been fulfilled, you will leave here, and I never want to see you again," he snarled, his remarks cruel and cutting, making every word count to tear her heart to pieces.

Belle struck quicker than a viper and zapped him into immobility with her wand before he could lay his hands on her, her lower lip trembling and the tears she'd kept at bay flowing unchecked down her ashen face. Once again, she had him at her mercy and it made her feel hollow inside. She tucked her wand away and cupped his face in her hands, his anger only evident in the cold depths of his eyes.

"I hate it that this is the only way I can get you to listen to me, Rumpelstiltskin, but so be it," she said, her voice hoarse and raspy with emotion as she swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I have spent over a century watching over you and more than half of it loving you. I, better than anyone, can see the goodness in you and I will _not_ give up on you. Whether I am here in this godforsaken castle with you or at a distance, I will never stop fighting for you and I will _never_ abandon you."

Belle didn't need this now when there was every possibility she would incur Blue's wrath over her actions, but it was a small price to pay for loving him. She needed to be strong and have a clear head for what she was setting out to do, not have to endure heartbreak because he was afraid. She leaned up on the balls of her feet and brushed her lips to his in a light kiss, hoping to take the taste of her love into battle with her. "I will return as soon as I can, and we will move forward, Rumpel … together. I won't let you push me away any longer."

Rumpelstiltskin knew the moment she crossed the barrier of his lands as the magic which held him immobile released him and he fell forward to his knees. He stayed there where he was, his eyes drawn to the darkening sky outside his tower window. She loved him. His Belle _loved_ him. She'd completely taken leave of her senses, that girl. What was he to do now?

"Oh, Belle …"

*.*.*

Belle stopped at the very edge of the glade - magically hidden from the outside world - and took a deep breath, swiping angrily at her tears. Could she have been so wrong about Rumpelstiltskin? Could he really care nothing for her at all? She pushed the troublesome thoughts aside, knowing she didn't have time to dwell on her inner turmoil. He needed her to finish what she had started.

When he'd lost Baelfire, he had lost his firm grip on his humanity, slowing letting the darkness seep into his soul to turn him into the monster he claimed to be. He needed to be reunited with his son, to make peace with him, to apologize. Only then could he find peace within himself and strive to claw his way back into the light. She wouldn't be able to do it on her own. It would take both of them to help him find his humanity once more.

Belle crossed the magical barrier which concealed the glade from the outside world and flew towards its center where the only pixie dust tree in the Enchanted Forest flourished under the care of the fairies. She zoomed high into the air, putting herself level with the very highest branches and shot forward with a burst of speed. She didn't want anyone to take note of her actions. They would surely run to Blue with the news and she would be in more trouble than her wings were worth.

She withdrew two cylindrical glass vials and plunged them deeply within the depths of the innocuous looking flower which grew from the tree, filling them near to overflowing. She corked the bottles and withdrew her wand, casting a stasis spell over the contents, hoping the charm would protect the potency of the dust. There was a very small chance it would work, however slim. She kept a firm hold of one bottle and slipped the other into the fabric covering her bosom, hoping if she were caught the guards wouldn't think to search her person.

Belle glanced up at the moon, high overhead and full. She needed to hurry back to Rumpelstiltskin. He would be waiting for her, waiting to open the portal which would take them to Baelfire - and yes, she _would_ be going with him - whether he wished it or not. There was no guarantee he would ever return, and she wouldn't take the chance of losing her imp forever. And because of her distraction with the sorcerer who tormented her so, she ran into Blue as she was nearly free of the glade … literally. Rheul Ghorm tumbled head over shiny blue heels before she righted herself in midair and leveled Belle with a fierce scowl.

"Violet!" she scolded. "How many times do I have to tell you to watch where you are flying?"

"My apologies, Blue," Belle said, easing her hand holding the pixie dust behind her back. "I shall be more careful in the future." Belle smiled brightly, the gesture never meeting her eyes. She flew forward to pass Blue only to have the grand fairy block her exit.

"Why don't you come to my quarters, Violet, and have a cup of nectar with me? You've been absent so much of late, it will give us a chance to catch up."

And by that simple statement Belle knew without a doubt her ruse had been discovered. Her eyes darted to the magical barrier, wondering desperately if she could make a break for it. The potion had just a mere two hours remaining to add the dust before it would be rendered useless and they would have to begin brewing a whole new batch. She needed to leave NOW! "I fear I will have to decline, Blue. Much to do, you know, charges to look after," she supplied lamely, her voice quivering with nerves. Why was it she could stand up to the wrath of the Dark One, yet quaked with fear in the face of her mentor?

"I don't think so, dear," Blue insisted, her bell-like voice grating harshly on Belle's ears. "Green, Amethyst, please see Violet to my quarters … and do make certain she is comfortable," she called to two of her guards who were never far from the sound of her voice. "And I'll be taking that. There's really no telling what the Dark One could do with such a powerful weapon."

Glowing ethereal blue chains wrapped themselves about Belle as they sprang from the tip of Blue's wand, and she knew better than to try to free herself. It would only cause pain and suffering the likes she had hoped never to experience again. She had no choice but to allow the guards to escort her to her _sentencing_. Her sisters led her into Blue's sitting room, deep within the bowels of a tulip at half bloom and left her alone with the little blonde-haired green fairy for company.

"Belle, how do you get yourself into these situations? Is it true?"

Belle eyed her sister warily, wondering if she could continue to trust her. The only fairy in the glade to get into more trouble than Belle was Green. "Is what true?"

"Is what true?" Tinkerbell mocked. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. Did you think you could hide it from Blue that you've been watching over the Dark One?"

"Tink, please! You have to help me get out of here before it's too late," Belle pleaded. She should have known Blue would somehow discover what she'd been doing over the past fortnight.

"I'm afraid it is already too late, Violet," Blue snapped angrily as she flew into the room on her gossamer wings. "You were seen outside the gates of the Dark Castle … a place you were forbidden to go. What were you doing with pixie dust? Were you planning on bribing the Dark One to let you in?"

"I was merely observing him, Blue. The dust was for another of my charges," Belle lied, daring not to breathe lest her body betray her. She never had been very good at deception.

"I see," Blue replied, pursing her lips as she studied the errant fairy. "Very well," she finally said. "No harm done … this time. However, you have taken pixie dust without my permission and I cannot let it pass. You will remain here until morning, confined to your chamber as punishment."

Belle hung her head and closed her eyes before Blue could see the turmoil roiling through her slight frame. She couldn't stay that long. Rumpelstiltskin was expecting her, and it went against every fiber of her being to let him down in such a way. She couldn't fail him now after the progress they'd made. "As you see fit, Blue," Belle replied through clenched teeth, praying her voice remained steady.

"Sleep well, Violet. Green, please escort Violet to her chambers and have someone stand watch over her until morning." With that, Blue swept from the room, leaving Belle to her punishment.

*.*.*

Rumpelstiltskin paced before the open front doors of the Dark Castle, the heels of his boots clicking sharply against the stones. He'd moved the large cast iron cauldron down from the tower, thinking the least amount of damage would be done to the sparse entryway when the portal was opened. It would only be a matter of moments before the portal could be opened and he would be on the road to finding his boy. His anxious gaze darted between the simmering potion and the darkened sky beyond the light of the lanterns in the courtyard as he wondered where his Belle could be.

 _His? When did I begin to think of the infuriating little gnat as mine?_ he thought glumly. _Perhaps when she professed she has been in love with me for nearly a century, idiot!_

But he couldn't bear to think about that now. He was too close to realizing his life-long goals. There would be time to discuss such things after he had been reunited with Baelfire. He withdrew the pocket watch from his brocade vest and checked the time. Twenty-five minutes. She was doing this on purpose to keep him on his toes, he was certain. "Come on, dearie, tick tock," he murmured.

He tried his best to ignore the prickles of foreboding which danced along his spine as he moved to stand on the top step leading to the courtyard below. She had spent far too much time convincing him she was the only person who could ever help him in his quest. They were so close. She wouldn't let him down as every other person in the span of his long existence had. No, he wouldn't believe that of her … not until the last possible second when he had no other choice.

The knowledge, the fact that everyone he'd ever known in his life had brought him nothing but pain kept the doubt alive in his breast, squashing out the delicate glimmer of hope she had ignited within him and he once again felt the fear of betrayal creeping upon him as the seconds ticked past.

*.*.*

Belle seethed with fury as she threw her wand down on her soft bed of flower petals, barely containing the urge to scream. She had spent the better part of an hour trying to escape the prison which had once been her home. She was magically sealed in her chamber and the only way she was getting out was if someone came to free her. She couldn't even call upon Rumpelstiltskin because the glade was warded heavily against dark magic. He must be frantic with worry - over the potion, not her - and the thought brought her nothing but despair.

The lock clicked, and Tinkerbell stuck her head through the opening she made in the door. Carefully she slipped inside and placed a finger to her lips, whispering, "Come, I will help you, Belle."

Elated, Belle beamed at her sister. "You're going to get yourself in more trouble, Tink, but thank you," she beamed, hugging the other fairy.

"When you come back, I want a good explanation for cavorting with the Dark One."

"Cavorting? Really, Tink?"

"You know what I mean, Belle. Now hurry! Magenta will only be out for so long," Tinkerbell warned.

"What on Fae did you do to her?" Belle asked, the corner of her mouth turning up in a smirk which would have done Rumpelstiltskin proud.

Tinkerbell smiled mischievously. "Just a bit of drugged tea. A quite useful recipe I learned from a certain man with a hat." She waved her hand dismissively when Belle opened her mouth to question her. "I'll tell you another time."

Belle kissed the little green fairy fondly on both cheeks and sprinted through the door, her wings unfurling from her back as she gained the fresh night air and launched herself into the air. Her lips moved fervently in silent prayer as she pushed her body to reach speeds she'd never dared before in the hope she could reach her beloved before it was too late.

 **A/N:** Gotta love to hate Blue! If I've offended anyone who is a fan of the Blue Fairy, I apologize, but I stand firm in my opinion that she is evil! And if you didn't hate her before, you will by the time I finish with the next chapter. I really hope you enjoyed this update as I tried to include a little bit of everything we love in our fics. I can't tell you how much your comments and support mean to me. Love you all so much. Can't wait to hear what you think about this latest installment.


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

Belle could feel the icy cold hand of dread clutch her heart as she crossed the boundary of the Dark One's lands and flew over the heavy iron gate which barred everyone but the most desperate of souls from entering his domain. She was too late … too late … too late. The words echoed through her mind to the beat of her heart, nearly as fast as hummingbird wings. She had let him down. Her rapid pace across the realm slowed as she neared the castle doors and shifted her form, her wings folding up neatly in her back and disappearing entirely.

The castle was cold and bleak as she pushed the heavy door open which led into the foyer. The cauldron which he'd brought down from the laboratory mocked her cruelly upon her entrance, the potion within having turned into a thick black gelatinous goo … completely useless now, and she could feel the tears misting her eyes at their failed attempt. Failed because of her. Oh, how he must hate her now … even more so than before. Her hesitant steps took her closer to the open door leading into the Great Hall, the only light penetrating the room that of the great stone hearth.

Rumpelstiltskin was sitting in one of the two wingback chairs before the hearth and she could practically feel him vibrating with tension and barely restrained fury. He was staring off into the flames, his eyes black in the dim light, no doubt cursing her name for her failure, for her ineptitude and for her broken promise. She couldn't possibly feel any worse for what had happened, but she was certain by the end of the night he would change her mind.

Belle approached him slowly, wary of the beast and hating herself for thinking of him in such a way. Deep down he was still her Rumpel. The Great Hall was a mess, testament to his foul temper. The long dining table had deep scratches where his talons had marked the surface and the china which would have held their dinner lay in slivers of porcelain across the surface and on the rug below. Their chairs were overturned, the glass cabinet which held many of his treasures was a splintered mess of wood and glass, the drape covering the full-length mirror in the corner was in shreds and the mirror itself lay on its side, the silvery glass cracked in a spider web pattern and rendered useless. The only thing which had survived was the chair he sat upon and his spinning wheel.

Glass and debris crunching beneath her feet brought his narrowed gaze to her and she froze under his scrutiny, feeling it would be unwise to take another step towards him. "Rumpel —"

Rumpelstiltskin held up a hand, halting what was sure to be a good explanation. "Get lost on the way home, dearie?" he asked, his voice quiet and controlled.

Belle felt a shiver trip up her spine to raise the fine hairs on her nape. "Rumpel, I'm so sorry. I can explain."

He rose from his seat to stalk closer to her. And that was exactly what he resembled, an angry snarling dragon, ready to burn her before devouring her for his dinner. "I'm sure you can. So, what was it, Belle?" he asked, spitting her name from his tongue as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Did you stop to have tea with your little fairy friends? Have a good laugh with them about how you'd tricked the all-powerful Dark One into trusting you, so you could betray him?"

"No, Rumpel, I would never," she insisted, her eyes pleading with him to believe her. "I would never betray you. Blue detained me and —"

His eyes flashed, and his nostrils flared as he took in a sharp breath at the name of his most hated foe. His hands rose before him and he pointed both index fingers in her direction, his stare accusing. "And so we've come to the heart of the matter at last," he bit out, his insane giggle trilling sharply through the cavernous room. "This whole time you've been conspiring with that vicious little stinging jellyfish to destroy me."

Belle reached out to him, jerking her hand back as he flinched away from her. "Please, if you would just listen to me for a moment. I swear -"

"LIES! Everything which spews from your lips is fraught with lies," he said, his voice taking on the impact of a cannon blast. "All your pretty little assurances, your clever promises … LIES!"

"They were NOT!" she yelled back. "Blue caught me stealing the pixie dust and detained me." She moved the bangles aside on her left wrist to show him the marks left by her magical bonds, but his gaze never faltered from hers. "If not for her, I would have made it in plenty of time. We would be gone from here now. But, Rumpel, there is no reason we can't begin again. We can brew another —"

"You've probably been reporting to her the entire time you've been staying here at the castle. That is why you disappear for hours each day. I won't have you spilling any more of my secrets," he hissed, reaching out so his hand could wrap around her wrist in a painful grasp. He didn't watch her beautiful tortured features wince at his tight grip as he hauled her towards the doors and out into the courtyard.

"Rumpel, no. Please!" she cried as he pulled her struggling form through the gates which opened under his silent command. "Please don't do this." The tears flowed unchecked over her drawn, ashen features, the pain of his rejection tearing at her heart and evident on her face.

"The deal is off. You are not to return to my lands … ever. You will stay away or face my wrath!" He turned on his heel to return to the solitude of the Dark Castle, the gates closing and locking behind him as he stalked off.

Belle choked back a sob and called after him. "I will not fail you again, Rumpelstiltskin. I will find a way to reunite you with your son whether you like it or not." _I won't fail you again, my love … even though you are an infuriating, stubborn imp._

He didn't look back as he strode into the castle. He wouldn't look back to see her tears or the anguish so clear in her cerulean eyes. She was just as convincing a liar as the rest of the fairies, not to be trusted and he wouldn't let her beauty, or her pretty excuses sway him again.

Belle watched him until she could no longer see him in the dark before she angrily dried the tears from her cheeks and squared her shoulders with determination, a plan formulating in her cunning mind. She had work to do and it wouldn't get done if she brooded before his gate crying like a silly little girl over the loss of her first love. No, she would prove to him she hadn't betrayed him and then he could spend a good week apologizing for being a stubborn ass!

With a thought, she shrank down to the size of a hummingbird, her gossamer wings unfolding from her back and took to the air in the direction of the glade … and her salvation.

The glade was quiet and peaceful in the early morning hours as Belle returned, her heart heavy with her heartache. She was _not_ used to defeat in anything she did, never having failed to grant the wishes of her charges. Blue had never let down any of her own charges, yet she was picky in choosing those she deemed worthy of her help. Some, she felt, were beneath her aid and that is why they found themselves desperate enough to make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. She snorted as she stealthily made her way to the very darkest part of the glade where Blue kept her treasures hidden behind a nest of briars and the poisonous barbs of a Dreamshade thicket. Rumpelstiltskin's prejudices must be rubbing off on her, she thought, never having thought of her mentor as truly evil before. Now Belle wasn't so certain.

She withdrew her wand from the sash at her waist, the silver swirls on the handle of the violet wand gleaming in the moonlight. But before she could cast her spell to make an opening in the thicket, a tinkling voice called softly from the darkness.

"You've completely lost your marbles, haven't you?"

"Tink! Are you trying to frighten me to death!?" Belle hissed, her hand flying up to cover her heart as it threatened to beat from her chest.

"Why did you come back? If Blue catches you —" Tinkerbell warned. Then she saw the tear tracks which lined Belle's face. "You've been crying? Why have you been crying? Belle … fairies don't cry!"

Belle lowered her gaze and took a shuddering breath. "I've failed the man I love, and his pain was just a bit more than I could bear. I need to find a way to make things right. It doesn't matter what Blue does to me anymore; I have to save him."

"Oh, Belle," Tink groaned after a moment, flying forward and wrapping her friend in an embrace meant to comfort. "You fell in love with the Dark One?"

Belle rested her head on Tink's shoulder and sniffled softly. "I can't remember a time when I wasn't in love with him. I've watched him make so many mistakes, so many bad choices and my heart ached for him. But then there were times when I could see past the mask he wears to the good man he once was and could be again. So yes, I love him, Tink … so much."

Tinkerbell cupped Belle's cheek in her hand and smiled. "Don't cry, Belle. What can I do to help?" she asked, a mischievous smile toying at her pink tinted lips.

"I can't ask —"

"You're not asking, I'm offering. I may not understand how you could love him, but I can't stand to see you suffer. If there is some way I can help you find your happiness, I will do whatever I can."

"Thank you," Belle said, squeezing Tink's hand. She surveyed the obstacle barring her from Blue's private store of magical relics and treasures she'd collected over the centuries and frowned. "I need to get in there to see if there's something that can help Rumpel."

Tink pushed the sleeves of her green dress back and pointed her wand at the thicket. A blast of green light, which glittered under the light of the moon, pushed the brambles and thorns away and made an opening for Belle to slip through. "Go, hurry! I can only hold it open for so long."

Belle nodded and shot through the hole Tink had made, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. She used her wand to illuminate the footpath which led her into a small cave. Torches held to the walls by braces lit magically to light her way into a vast room which took Belle's breath away. There was gold and jewels, fine silks and velvets and various other signs of wealth. On a pedestal to the right, under a glass case, was something she'd thought only a myth … the black fairy's wand. Maleficent's wand. Blue had banished her more than a century ago, but she never thought Blue had kept her wand. When a fairy was banished and stripped of her power, her wand was destroyed, her wings taken. Why had Blue kept it?

She gave herself a mental shake, not having the time to ponder Blue's reasoning. She searched through an armoire, several trunks stuffed with odds and ends and the drawers of a writing desk and finding nothing which would help her sorcerer. Her eyes were drawn back again and again to the wand. She slammed her hand down in frustration on top of the desk and something clicked. Belle ran her hand along first one side and then the other, her fingers brushing against a small protrusion in the wood. Slipping her fingernails along the wood, she was able to pry it open with little trouble. Inside the small hidden drawer was a blue silk drawstring pouch.

Belle knelt next to the desk and stared at the little bag, her fingers itchy and fidgeting as she hesitated in touching it. What if it were booby trapped, hidden so carefully away as it was? She reached forward, her hand closing over the little silk bag, the need to erase the sadness from Rumpelstiltskin's eyes once and for all banishing her trepidation. She gasped as the contents spilled over into her palm. It was filled with beans, clear shiny portal-opening beans grown by the giants and said to be non-existent in their realm. Rumpelstiltskin had told her of how Blue had given Baelfire the bean to open the portal which had taken him to a land with no magic, but he'd also said it was the last in existence. She had lied!

The more she'd searched through Blue's hidden treasures, the more she began to suspect the character of her mentor and it didn't cast her in a good light. But she'd succeeded in finding a way to help her beloved. He would see she hadn't betrayed him, and they could finally open the portal which would take them to his son. Carefully, she removed four of the beans from the little pouch, replacing it in the drawer and securing the beans she held in a hidden pocket near the hem of her short skirt. Four beans … one to find Baelfire, one to return them home - if that was what Rumpelstiltskin wished - and two just in case they needed them in the future.

Belle did a quick search of the room, wanting to make certain she hadn't mussed anything or disturbed any treasures which would alert Blue to the fact Belle had been snooping in her private domain, slowly moving towards the entrance as she did so.

"What could you possibly be searching for, Violet?"

Belle closed her eyes briefly, fighting off a wave of nausea at the sound of that tinkling voice filled with hidden malice and a promise of dire retribution. "Blue —" she said, biting the inside of her lip as she tried to think of _anything_ which would explain her presence in the treasure cave.

"And don't think to call for Green to come to your aid. She has already been dealt with. I think a year, powerless and desperate in the wilds of Neverland will curb her disobedience, don't you? She will be happy to obey the rules when I allow her to return," Blue said, a honey-sweet smile upon her lips and a hint of madness in the depths of her whiskey brown eyes.

"You banished Tink to Neverland?! For a year? But Pan —"

Blue's eyes hardened, and her lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure. "You should be more worried about your own fate, Violet. Come, dear," she beckoned, and Belle had no choice but to follow. Blue gave Belle her back and began to precede her from the room. Quick as a blink, Belle moved to follow, her hand snaking out and claiming one more relic on her way out of the cavernous room, slipping it into her sleeve. "I really can't fathom what you expected to gain by breaking into my private chambers. Were you expecting to find something to help the Dark One with his nefarious plans and schemes?"

"Perhaps I was just bored and decided to have a peek," Belle replied dryly, a smirk curving up the left side of her mouth.

Blue's shoulders stiffened as she continued to lead Belle across the glade and passing through the magical barrier into the fresh clear night. Even the crickets were silent in the face of the Blue Fairy's displeasure. Belle should have been worried, but she'd reached a point in her life where she didn't care anymore what her mentor thought of her. Short of death, which she knew was beyond Blue's vast array of punishments, she would decide her own fate, come what may.

"What are we doing out here? Are you going to banish me to Neverland as well?" Belle asked, leveling Blue with a stare so full of loathing the older fairy's lips parted in surprise.

Blue snapped her mouth closed and drew herself up, smiling sadly. "I am sorry it has come to this, Violet, but I cannot allow your disobedience to continue. You are hereby stripped of your wand," she intoned and with a flick of her own wand, Belle's disappeared from the sash at her waist.

"No, wait!"

"You are stripped of your power," another flick of Blue's wand and Belle felt herself become dizzy and weak, barely able to sustain flight.

"Blue, no!"

"And your wings."

Belle screamed as she felt a searing pain in her back as her wings were ripped from her flesh, the skin closing over the place which had held her wings in place for more than five centuries. She felt herself grow to her human size as she fell to the earth, the ground rushing up to greet her. Human. She was human. How was she supposed to help Rumpelstiltskin now? She had failed yet again, but the tears wouldn't come to help her release her despair.

One word fell from her lips, so filled with desperation her heart bled with it, "Rumpelstiltskin." The last thing she saw before slipping into the black void of unconsciousness was the smirking countenance of the Blue Fairy as she fluttered back towards the glade.

*.*.*

Rumpelstiltskin's grip tightened on the bottle of goblin-made fire whiskey in his hand as he stared dolefully into the flames crackling and popping in the hearth in his bedroom. It had been a mistake to leave the Great Hall and the scene of his fit with temper, but he wasn't in the mood to clean up the evidence of his beastly nature. It was also a reminder of Belle, and the guilt gnawing at his gut.

It didn't matter, however, which room he chose to occupy in the castle as her presence was a living force which followed him through the corridors. His dark gaze fell on the neatly made bed and he groaned as a memory of Belle curled upon the coverlet in slumber crept into his mind's eye. He remembered clearly the way her body fit so perfectly against his, her softness molding into the hard planes of his, her arms wrapped protectively around him as he slept.

He had never known a good night's sleep until she'd come to the castle and barged into his life with a soft smile and a wink. She'd become so much a part of him it was almost a physical pain to be parted from her. He took another long pull on the bottle in his hand and scowled, closing his eyes and resting his head against the back of the leather chair. _I have spent over a century watching over you and more than half of it loving you._ And he believed her … with his whole heart he believed her. By every word and deed since she'd stepped into the Dark Castle, she had proven her love for him and he'd acted like a boorish ass. And he'd sent her away. He cursed himself for a fool.

He'd been angry and let the entity of the Dark One, which clung to his soul, push her away, refusing to listen to her explanations for her lateness. He'd let his temper get the better of him and now she was gone. He wasn't able to sense her due to the very fact she was a blasted fairy and protected against dark magic. How was he ever to find her when the location of the glade, the fairies called home, wasn't known to a single human soul in the realm? But he had to try. Some way, somehow, he had to find her, plead with her to return to him … to their home. He loved her, his Belle, he finally admitted to himself, and he wouldn't rest until he'd found her. The question was, could she ever forgive him for his atrocious behavior and let him back into her heart?

The crackling flames in the hearth was the only sound in the silent room, the castle seeming to sense its master's melancholy and responding accordingly. He set the jug of whiskey on the floor next to his chair and let his eyes close once more. He was weary and guilt-ridden and determined to ignore the voices which called to him in the darkness, all souls desperate to make a deal. Except one.

He shot forward in his chair, holding his head in his hands and hoping his fierce grip would still the shrieking in his brain. It felt like a gong reverberating in his mind and he whimpered at the pain. Because this voice was the most precious of all and filled with so much despair, so much pain, it brought him sliding forward out of the chair and onto his knees. He didn't stop to wonder _why_ he could suddenly hear her. She was desperate enough to call for him and he would _not_ fail her.

With a thought, he reached for her, letting the magic, which was so ingrained in him, pull him through the void to her side. His eyes searched through the darkness, looking for any sign of danger and finding none, moved through the tall grass in search of his Belle. The grass was so overgrown, and the night so dark, he very nearly stumbled over her as she lay sprawled on the cool loam of the meadow, her body shivering violently beneath the chilly night air.

"Oh, Belle!" he breathed, his clawed hands dark against the milky tone of her skin as he reached to turn her over. He immediately withdrew as she cried out at his touch. Her pain was nearly palpable in the air around her and he frowned with worry. Fairies were magical beings who didn't suffer through mortal pain, so why … It was then he noticed her heartbeat. It no longer fluttered like hummingbird's wings, but held the normal beat of a human. Her lovely skin no longer held the faint traces of a sparkle and her perfect rosebud mouth held a tinge of blue as she shivered in the cold. She was human! Dear Gods!

"Belle, sweetheart, what has happened to you?" he whispered, reaching for her again. He pulled her up into his arms and cradled her against his lap, searching her for injury.

Belle pulled herself from the darkness which encroached upon her and opened misty jewel-bright eyes at the sound of his beloved voice, high pitched and impish though it was. It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard, and in that moment, her heart rejoiced. "You came for me. You heard me, and you came for me," she breathed softly, her voice quavering with the weakness which seemed to plague her limbs and made them so heavy she could hardly move.

"What happened, Belle?" he asked. They would have time for sentiment later, but now he needed to know what had happened to her. He held her securely in his arms, his hands ghosting over her back and causing her to cry out in pain. "Are you injured?" he asked, turning her slightly so he could see her back. Two vivid pink scars marred her creamy flesh.

"S-She took my w-wings, Rumpel," she said matter-of-factly, each word seeming to sap more of her strength. "I've been made … human."

Anger the likes of which he hadn't experienced in centuries gripped him and he wanted to lash out, to rip, to tear, to kill the fairy who had dared to hurt his Belle. "I will burn them all," he growled, his voice low and filled with menace.

Belle's hand tightened around his arm when he would have laid her gently back against the grass. "No, Rumpel, please. They're not worth any more damage to your soul. Leave them … please," she begged, fighting to hold her eyes open against the welcoming darkness which called for her to surrender to its solace.

"I cannot let this stand, Belle. She hurt you," he hissed, pressing his brow to hers and praying he would be able to acquiesce to her request.

Belle shook her head to clear it and lifted her gaze to meet his. "I hurt you and yet you still came for me when I called. Does this mean you've forgiven me? Will you take me home with you?"

Rumpelstiltskin choked back a sob and swallowed convulsively around the lump of emotion which had formed in his throat. "Sweetheart, there is nothing to forgive. It is I who should be begging your forgiveness for acting so rashly and taking out my anger on you when you've been nothing but kind to me. Belle, I'm so sorry."

Her eyes closed wearily as she felt his magic wrap around them and transport them directly to his bedroom in the Dark Castle. She cried out as he laid her gently atop the coverlet on their bed and immediately turned away from him to lie on her side, giving him her back.

"Belle, let me heal you, love," he crooned, brushing her hair away from her brow as he called his magic to his hands and causing an ethereal purple glow.

"It's my price, Rumpel, for helping you and going against Blue's teaching," she murmured. "My price I will willingly pay for loving you."

His teeth gnashed together, and the muscle ticked along the right side of his jaw as he imagined the agony she must have suffered at Rheul Ghorm's hands. One day soon he would make a concentrated effort to rid the realm of her vile existence whether Belle approved or not. He passed his hand over the angry twin scars and they faded into nothing, leaving only the creamy expanse of unmarred flesh between her shoulder blades. "I will not have you suffering when you did nothing wrong."

"Thank you. I'm so tired," she whispered, hiding her yawn behind her hand. "I think I need to sleep."

Rumpelstiltskin left her there nestled against the pillows and retrieved her nightgown from the armoire. When he returned, her eyes had already drifted closed. "Belle, here, let's get you changed. Do you … ah … need help?" he asked, grimacing at the indecision in his tone.

"Would you mind terribly?" she asked, forcing her limbs into action and struggling into a sitting position.

Carefully, not wanting to risk hurting her in case she'd injured herself further in her fall, he averted his gaze and helped to peel her purple dress down her arms. She held the bodice to her breasts and gasped when she pulled her arm from the left sleeve and the black fairy's wand clattered to the floor. "What in seven hells?"

Belle arched a brow and pasted a gamine-like grin on her lips. "Just one more thing Blue will never be able to use against us."

"Belle, this is Maleficent's wand. How did you ever get your hands on this? It was purported to be destroyed when she was cast down," he said, his long fingers caressing the onyx jewels set into the handle. "Do you have any idea what we could do with this?"

Belle's hand closed over his, the wand held tightly in his grasp and searched his warm amber eyes. "Yes, Rumpel, I do. But please … please make good choices when you wield it. I wanted to protect us from Blue if she decided to retaliate against you for some misguided notion you'd turned me evil. This wand, combined with your own power is enough to obliterate the seven realms, so please be careful."

He stared at her with awe as she pulled her nightgown over her head and began fiddling with the hem of the violet dress. "You trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you," she smiled, cupping his cheek in her hand. He leaned into it and pressed his lips to her palm. "I love you, Rumpelstiltskin." She placed her fingertips over his lips to stop the flow of words which rushed to escape. "Shh. You don't have to say anything. I don't expect you to return my feelings, but I wanted you to know."

"Belle …" he whispered against her fingers, a hesitant smile forming on his thin lips, her name spoken with such reverence he didn't need to say anything more at the moment.

She took his hand in hers and turned it palm up, placing the beans she'd taken from the hidden pocket of her skirt into the cup of his hand. "Do you think Baelfire will like me, Rumpel … if I get to meet him, that is?" she asked, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"Belle! Did you steal these from her too? She claimed the one she gave Bae was the last one she possessed," he said, fighting between elation at the possibility of opening a portal and anger that the Blue Fairy had lied to him so long ago.

Belle shrugged. "I told you I would find a way," she retorted gently, not wanting to sound like a know it all. "But could we possibly rest first before we open the portal?" She lowered her gaze, suddenly unsure of her place in his life. "Unless you don't want —"

Rumpelstiltskin gently took her into his arms and pressed his brow to hers. "I won't leave without you, my Belle. I don't deserve your love, but I don't want to be without you … never again. I regretted sending you away this evening and thought I'd lost you for good until you called for me." He kissed the tip of her nose and trailed his dark nails along her cheek, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her lower lip to free it from her teeth. "I never want to feel that way again. I want you to stay and share my life. I want for us to find my son, together." He brushed his lips to hers, whispering, "I love you, my little fairy."

With a broken sob, Belle wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips more firmly to his, pouring every ounce of love she possessed in her heart into the meeting of their lips. Every nerve in her body tingled with joy as his lips moved over hers, molding, brushing, coaxing until she opened for him. He was sweet and gentle and tender with her, keeping a tight rein on his passion so as not to frighten her, the kiss more of an affirmation of their love than physical desire.

"What's happening?" he asked, his mind growing hazy and he wasn't sure if he could actually faint with the pleasure of having her in his arms at last.

Belle eyes widened exponentially, a gasp on her lips as she pulled away, staring at him as though she didn't know him. "Holy blessed Fae!"

 **A/N:** I know…bad writer! *runs away to hide* Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was editing Why Did You Stay so I can begin reposting and totally lost track of time. So did you like the chapter? I can't wait to read your comments. Thanks so much for taking the time to read, review, follow and fav this humble little fic. I hope you're enjoying the story. Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter up for you tomorrow. You have Rumpel's happiness over reuniting with Bae to look forward to and let's just say, he's not exactly where Rumpel expected to find him. Thank heavens Belle has extra beans!


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

Rumpelstiltskin flopped over on the bed, Belle clinging tightly to his shoulders as he squinched his eyes shut to block out the searing pain in his chest. The entity which had corrupted him with darkness for centuries scratched and clawed as he fought to hold onto the spinner's soul. It felt as though he were being burned with magical fire … which burned hotter than any of a normal means … from the inside out. "Hurts," he gasped, trying to focus on Belle and the soothing strokes of her hand on his chest.

Belle stared at him, aghast, never having witnessed anything like this before. His flesh shifted back and forth between the green-gold hue she was used to and the pink skin of a normal human man. She clasped his face between her hands, her thumbs caressing his cheeks as she spoke softly to him. "Rumpel, I'm here. I'm not going to leave you," she promised as she lowered her lips to his once more.

The Dark One growled and snarled at the spinner, spitting curses at him and drowning out the bell-like chimes of his true love's voice. _If you let her break your curse, how will you protect her? How will you ever be able to protect your precious son once you find him? Your enemies will come to take them away from you and you'll be powerless to protect them. Do you really want to be the pathetic lame coward you were before?_

But the spinner squared his shoulders in defiance and lifted his chin to bravely face down the demon which had oppressed him. _This is what my son has always wanted, for me to be free of you. When I find him, I will be the man he loved as his father and not the demon he feared. I'm not a coward anymore and I_ will _protect my family._

Brilliant white light burst behind his eyes and spread throughout his lithe frame, leaving him shivering violently as the Dark One's grasp around his soul relinquished its hold. He'd done it. He'd pushed the demon out at last. The pain ebbed and feeling returned to his numb limbs, leaving only peace and the fluttering lightness of Belle's touch on his skin. Her hands cradled his head in her palms and her tears dripped onto his face as she continued to kiss him, pouring her love into him. His arms lifted sluggishly to wrap around her waist and hold her close to his chest.

Belle opened her eyes and stared down into his very human face, her smile hesitant as she met his gaze. "You're beautiful, Rumpelstiltskin," she murmured, her tone colored with awe as she reached to trail her fingertips alongside his face.

His cheeks bloomed with color at her praise. Only his love would ever think so, he thought sheepishly. "You truly love me, my Belle," he said incredulously in a broken whisper. "You're not … disappointed?"

"Don't be silly, Rumpel. You gave up your curse; you are free from the darkness. I couldn't be happier. Are … um … are _you_ happy?" she asked worriedly. "You've lived for so long in that state, I can understand if you're afraid."

He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and sighed. "I did it for you and for Baelfire. This is all he ever wanted for me. But I never dreamed true love was possible for the beast I was. Only you, my darling, were strong enough … _brave_ enough to want to help me find myself again." His warm sable eyes slid away from her, worry puckering his brow. "I am going to miss my magic, however."

Belle sat up and yawned, brushing the tears away from her face and smiling impishly. "Rumpel, you haven't lost your magic."

He sat up and gaped at her. "What?"

She eased herself back against the pillows and looked at him warmly through heavy lidded eyes, the events of the night having finally caught up with her. "Magic doesn't abandon that which it loves. It becomes a part of you, darling. It clings to you, takes shape within you and carves out a special place in you which can be molded into your very being. Go on, try something, anything."

He raised a skeptical brow and climbed to his feet. He lost his balance as he put weight on his right ankle, the old wound he hadn't felt for centuries sending pain shooting all the way to his hip. He called his magic to his hand and bent to pass his hand over the affected area, wincing as he felt the bone and tendon knit themselves together properly until the pain left him and the wound healed. "You were right. I don't understand it, but you were right." Then a thought occurred to him. "But if what you say is true, how is it that you've lost your magic?"

"I haven't … not really. I've only lost my wand. The magic is still within me, I just have no way of accessing it without my wand to conduct it. It's the only way I know. It will take time to find a new way to wield it, but I will adjust. I'm not going to allow Blue to take that from me, too."

His eyes fell on the wand lying next to her on the bed. "Well it's a good thing I have several for you to choose from … including this one which is the most powerful in the realm."

"Perhaps," she agreed. "But might we discuss it later? I'm so tired, Rumpel. Being human is not all it's cracked up to be."

He scooped the beans and wand up in his hands and removed them to the table set next to the bed. Dawn was just peeking over the horizon and he was beginning to grow weary as well. He was pleased he had been able to maintain the magic he'd lived with for so long and any worries he'd had about being able to protect his family were laid to rest. With a thought, he changed into his soft cotton breeches and silk tunic he liked to sleep in and climbed up onto the mattress to curl his body around his Belle.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, welcoming him into her embrace and sighing with contentment as he rested his head against her shoulder and nuzzled his face against her neck. She smiled as he relaxed into her, the tension always present within him ebbing away. "Rest, my love. When we wake, we'll set out immediately to find Bae.

"We'll be a family," he murmured sleepily. His arms wound about her waist, pulling her flush against his body after he drew the coverlet up about them. He was warm and happy and fulfilled after so long in the darkness - all because of the love of a stubborn bossy little fairy - and he thanked the gods she'd seen through the beast to the man beneath. "I love you, Belle," he mumbled against the creamy flesh of her throat as he felt sleep pull him into its comforting grasp.

"I love you, my Rum, more than you know."

*.*.*

"I think I have everything we might need. I packed enough food to last us several days … hopefully we will be able to purchase more wherever we may find ourselves. I've also packed us each a change of clothes and soap and … why are you looking at me like that, Rumpel?" Belle asked as she entered the tower laboratory and set her leather rucksack next to the door.

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her, a dazed expression in his dark eyes. He took her in from the top of her shiny chestnut locks to the tips of her boots. He blinked and tried to ignore the surge of lust which permeated his entire body. Her long chestnut locks were plaited down her back in one long braid, the tail brushing the small of her back. She must have raided his closet, however, because she was wearing one of his silk shirts dyed a vibrant violet and topped with a russet colored brocade corset which tucked her in and pushed her out in just the right places. And since he knew for a fact he had nothing at all like that in his closet, he suspected she had transfigured one of his waistcoats to suit her purposes. The curves of her hips and her shapely legs were encased in a pair of leather breeches almost like a second skin and he very nearly swallowed his tongue as his gaze raked her svelte frame. A wide belt hugged her trim waist, held together by an ornate gold buckle and a pair of sparkly violet half boots adorned her feet. _Sparkly purple half boots?_

His brows drew together in a puzzled frown. "Are those my boots?" he asked, taking issue with the least distracting article of her attire. "What have you done to my boots?"

Belle glanced down and admired how the boots sparkled in the sunlight coming in through the windows. "What's wrong, don't you like them? I think they're pretty," she asked, turning around for him to get the full effect. "Are you mad because I borrowed them?"

"Borrowed? I think not, love. You have claimed them and made them your own. I could have gotten you a pair of your own," he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest and heaving a weary sigh at the loss of his favorite pair of boots.

She grinned up at him as she crossed the room and kissed him lightly on the cheek before hopping up on his work table. "These are already broken in."

He reached around her and retrieved several potions on the table behind her, placing them in a leather case which would go into his own rucksack. "And did you intend for them to change that color? Isn't it a little ostentatious for where we're going? You're going to stick out and draw attention to us and your beauty will be enough of a draw."

Belle blushed prettily at the compliment and then confessed, "I may be having a wee bit of a problem with the wand."

Rumpelstiltskin closed the case and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to her palm. "What kind of problem?"

"I was trying to polish the boots, not turn them into this," she said, her tone filled with disgust. "The black wand doesn't work for me like the one I lost."

"You will learn to master it in time. I'm sorry the others I have in my collection didn't respond to you," he sympathized, brushing a loose curl behind her ear. After they'd had a light breakfast and formulated a plan to prepare for their journey, Rumpelstiltskin had presented Belle with five fairy wands he'd collected over the years, hoping one would respond to her and bring the magic, which still resided within her, under control. The only wand which had responded to her was the black fairy's wand and he had a strong feeling it was because Belle's light could temper the darkness held within the wand.

"That doesn't make me feel better, Rumpel. What if I attempt to clean the drapes in the Great Hall and it blasts out an entire wall of the castle?" she asked, drawing her lower lip between her teeth.

He drew her forward into the circle of his arms and pulled her head to rest against his chest, his hands drawing soothing circles on her back. "Then I will be there to repair it. Magic you could perform without thought before, will require a bit of focus until it becomes second nature to you again."

Belle wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs and pulled him more tightly against her, her hands winding about his neck to pull his head down to hers for a kiss. He shivered in her arms as her tongue caressed the roof of his mouth, his arms tightening about her until not even air could pass between them. A low rumble of pleasure erupted in his chest as she nipped lightly at his lower lip. No woman of his experience had ever made him feel so loved and desired as the little ex-fairy clinging so desperately to him. She had given up so much for him and he would never be worthy of her, but it would be easier to pull the moon from the heavens than it would be to give her up.

With the last of his willpower, he forced his mouth away from hers. She gave a little whimper and nipped at his pulse, trailing her lips to his ear. "Belle, love, we can't."

"Why?" she whined, reveling in the shudder which passed through him as she raked her nails over the sensitive flesh of his nape.

He tugged on her braid until she looked up at him and ceased her exploration of his neck. "Bae … portal … a time and place for everything?" Her eyes were dilated, a dark cobalt blue ringing the pupils, her lips were swollen from his kisses and her cheeks were flushed with desire. It did his pride a world of good to know _he_ had done that to her, that it was desire for _him_ which had her looking so wrecked and he wanted nothing more than to whisk them both back to their bedchamber to continue what she'd started … nothing aside from finding his son.

Belle sighed and let her hands slide down to rest against his chest, willing her heart to cease its rapid beat against her ribs. "You're right, but when we get back I expect you to continue this," she breathed, grinning wickedly.

He pressed his lips to her brow and returned her smile, thinking he would have to get used to smiling more now that she'd brought such joy to his life. "You may depend upon it."

"So … can you perhaps fix my boots?" she asked, staring down at them with a doleful expression.

Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers and her boots turned a shiny black in place of sparkly purple. She nodded in approval and hopped from the table to finish her packing. "Belle, here. Tuck this into your belt along with your wand," he called after her, holding out a fat purse filled with gold and silver coins. "And this you can tuck into your boot," he said, handing her a rather lethal looking dagger.

"Rumpel, is this …"

"Yes, it _was,_ the Dark One's dagger. Now it is just a blade since you broke my curse. What better blade to protect yourself, hmm?" he asked, chucking her under her chin and moving back to his stores to see if there was anything more they might need on their trip.

Belle ran her fingertips over the now innocent blade, its surface devoid of Rumpelstiltskin's name. It would never again be used to transfer power, or the entity known as the Dark One, its poisonous power having bled off of her love and into the ether. It was a fitting blade to have in her possession should they run into danger.

Twenty minutes later saw them standing in the courtyard on the front lawn of the Dark Castle ready to depart. "Where's your cloak?" he asked, watching her shift from one foot to another in her excitement.

"Um … I forgot?"

"Belle, love, what am I going to do with you?" With a flourish of his hand he produced one of his dragon-hide coats which he'd altered for her, this one dyed a dark violet. He rather liked her in that color. He held the coat up for her to slip her arms into the sleeves, a brilliant smile playing at her lips as she buttoned it over her middle.

"Oh, Rum, I like it. It's heavy, but it doesn't weigh me down."

"I think it will help protect you a bit better as well," he murmured thoughtfully, admiring the way his coat clung to her curves. "Lovely."

He took the bean from her outstretched palm and had to stamp down a fresh wave of nerves, remembering the last time he'd been faced with a swirling green vortex of terror. What if something went wrong? What if he and Belle got separated? What if …

Belle cupped his face in her hands and forced him to meet her gaze. "It will be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen," she assured him, kissing him lightly and twining her fingers with his. "Now let's go. Bae has waited for you long enough."

He secured her rucksack on her back and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as she fisted her hands in his waistcoat until she had a good grip. "Do NOT let go of me for any reason, Belle."

"Never," she promised fiercely. "Just think of Bae and the portal will take us to him. We'll find him, Rumpel."

He nodded shakily and ground his teeth together to keep from whimpering at the thought of having to face the unknown. He didn't want his brave Belle to know he was practically quaking with fear. He lifted her in his arms, her ankles crossing behind his back - there was no way he would take a chance in losing her - took a deep breath and tossed the bean.

Belle wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. "I love you, Rumpelstiltskin."

His arms secure about his beloved, he closed his eyes, stepped forward and jumped, the vortex closing behind them.

Rumpelstiltskin groaned and opened his eyes, his head whirling. He was lying atop Belle on a sandy stretch of beach, their limbs still entwined despite the tornado force winds of the vortex which had done its best to tear them apart. "Belle!"

Belle moaned and cracked an eye open to look up at him. "Did we make it?" she asked weakly. "Where are we?"

He rolled off her to sit by her side as he surveyed their surroundings. The night was dark, and he could barely see the outline of jungle overgrowth beyond the beach where waves lapped against the shore. A prickle of unease skipped up his spine as he took in the shadow of rock off in the distance in the center of the lagoon. "No!"

Belle sat up beside him, frowning at the fear she could hear in his voice along with a spark of the anger she'd witnessed the previous evening when he'd booted her from the Dark Castle. "Rumpel, what's wrong?"

"We're in bloody Neverland!" he hissed furiously.

"Neverland?"

"The blasted bean didn't work right!" he raged, climbing to his feet and beginning to pace, wishing for something to smash. Anything would do at that moment … a lost boy, a mermaid … Pan!

Belle rose to her feet and took a long searching look at the jungle beyond before setting off into the foliage, hoping Rumpelstiltskin would follow her. "It worked, Rum. But if Bae originally went to a land without magic, we need to find him if we're ever to discover why he is in Neverland."

"You really think he's here?" he asked, following her into the jungle.

"If we're here, then Bae has to be as well. The bean would only transport us to where he is," she told him confidently.

"Do you even know where you're going?" he snapped irritably as a large leafy frond smacked him in the face. His hand slapped at his neck as a mosquito decided to make dinner out of his succulent flesh.

Belle rolled her eyes and continued through the jungle. "Of course, I do, silly. We're going this way," she said pointing to the barely visible path beneath her feet.

"How can you be so calm?" he asked, stopping in his tracks and throwing his hands up in exasperation. "This place is dangerous and the last thing I want to do is run into the sadistic whelp who runs this place."

Belle backtracked several steps and grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind her. It was dark, and she wanted to find somewhere to bed down for the night and resume their search in the morning. "Rumpel, Pan doesn't want us. He is only concerned with the children he is able to coerce in joining his little band. As long as we stay away from his camp, he should leave us alone."

Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Why does it sound as if you've met him before?"

"Because Tink isn't the only fairy Blue has banished here as a form of punishment," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. "It's not the most pleasant place she could have chosen to send us, which I suppose was her point. So yes, I know Pan well. He stays out of my way, and I turn a blind eye to his machinations. I spent a good deal of my time here with the younger boys who ended up here. They're scared and alone and I couldn't just ignore their suffering," she said, brushing angrily at the tears which spilled onto her cheeks.

"She sent you _here_ _!?_ " he fumed, his eyes dark with unbridled fury that his love had been punished in _any_ way. She was nothing but good and kind and brave, willing to sacrifice herself to help others. She'd lost her wings because of her love for him and the thought of that sanctimonious, self-righteous jellyfish hurting his Belle made him want to let the full force of the Dark One unleash itself on her. Of course, he couldn't do that anymore, but the desire was still there.

"It's been half a century since I've been here. Just after the first time she caught me watching over you," she said, ducking her head so he couldn't see the sad smile curving her rosebud mouth.

He folded his arms around her, ignoring the heat and the bugs and the discomfort and concentrated on comforting her. "Oh, sweetheart, you've suffered so much because of me," he groaned, nuzzling his nose against her crown.

"You were … _are_ … worth it, Rumpel. I love you and I learned a long time ago when you find something worth fighting for, you never give up. No matter the pain, no matter the punishment, I will never give up on you," she promised earnestly. She pushed away from him slightly and brushed a tear from the corner of his eye. "Rein in the magic, darling, you're beginning to glow."

Rumpelstiltskin stared incredulously at the brilliant white glow on his skin. "What in seven —" her hand to his lips cut off his curse. "This has never happened before."

"You're even better than a torch, love," she teased. She took his hand and began following the path once more, trying to hold the leafy fronds out of the way so they wouldn't fly back and hit him in the face. "Think about it. Where before the Dark One was driven by hate and darkness, now your magic is driven by love and light. Just as I will have to get used to channeling my magic through a different wand, you will have to get used to using white magic instead of dark." She giggled softly. "At least with the glowing, I will know when you're thinking of me."

He laughed, startling himself at the sound, so used to the high-pitched giggle of the Dark One, he didn't recognize the softer deeper sound of amusement. "Then I suppose I'll be glowing every minute of the day, now won't I?" he teased her right back.

She felt a warm glow at his teasing, pleased he seemed more than willing to accept her love now that he believed she was his true love. The jungle seemed to get thicker the farther down the trail they progressed until they came to a clearing with several treehouses high up in the gnarled branches of an ancient tree. She left him at the edge of the clearing despite his protests and stepped forward, her hands held out away from her sides in a gesture which showed she meant no harm.

"Belle?"

"Tink! Oh, thank Fae you're alright," Belle exclaimed, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she waited for her friend to make an appearance. "I was so worried."

"Belle, what are you doing here? Did she banish you as well?" Tink asked, eyeing Belle's clothes curiously.

Belle shifted uncomfortably under Tinkerbell's scrutiny. "Not exactly. But before I explain, I'd like you to meet someone." She beckoned to Rumpelstiltskin, assuring him he was welcome.

"Who is this?" Tink asked, suspicion darkening her eyes.

Belle twined her fingers with his and beamed as his arm snaked around her waist to hold her possessively at his side. "This is Rumpelstiltskin."

"The Dark One? You brought the Dark One with you? Here? You know how Pan feels about him."

Belle felt him stiffen at her side and grimaced. This was not how she wanted him to find out she knew of his parentage. "Yes, I know, but this was not our original destination. This is where the portal sent us, not where we were expecting to go."

Tinkerbell waved a hand and gestured for them to follow her into her quarters at the top of the treehouse, giving herself time to think about what had brought Belle and her imp to Neverland. Once they were seated and she'd served them a crude yarrow tea, Belle filled her in on what had happened with Blue, how she'd been reunited with her sorcerer and how they'd opened the portal using a bean. She didn't know what to think by the time Belle was done with her tale.

"This is too incredible. And you say she had the black fairy's wand the entire time?"

"Yes. I think Blue might be darker than either you or I thought. But we need to find Bae and get back before Pan decides to start playing games with Rumpel," Belle insisted. "Have you seen anyone fitting his description since you've been back?"

"No, I haven't. Pan hasn't even come to see me since I arrived last night, but I'm certain he knows I'm here … which means he knows you're here as well," she said, her tone laced with warning. "I still can't believe you brought him here, Belle!"

Rumpelstiltskin had been silent for the duration of Belle's tale, but now he was beginning to lose his temper. "I believe she already explained she didn't do it on purpose, dearie."

"Rum, it's ok," she assured him, diffusing his anger before it escalated. "Tink just needs the right incentive. If you help us find Baelfire, we'll bring you back with us to the Enchanted Forest. You needn't spend an entire year in exile on Neverland."

"It's a kind offer, Belle, but if I leave here before my punishment ends, Blue will never give me my wand back. I'm lucky she didn't banish me as she did you," Tinkerbell said determinedly. "But yes, I will help you."

Belle led Rumpelstiltskin to the treehouse she'd used before when she'd been forced to stay in Neverland. Her energy was failing, still not fully recovered from her ordeal with Blue and it would be better to wait for first light to begin their search for Baelfire. She knew Rumpelstiltskin could use some rest as well, what with giving up his curse and all the perks which went along with it, including his remarkable stamina and the ability to go without sleep for extended periods of time.

"This was yours, my Belle?" he asked, taking note of the violet hangings and bedding around her rather comfortable looking bed against the wall.

"Yeah, it was," she nodded, shucking her coat and laying it over the back of a chair. She took out the black wand and passed it over herself, concentrating on changing into her night gown. Tiny beads of sweat popped out on her brow, but she managed to accomplish her task. "Gah! It shouldn't be so hard to do simple things." She threw up her hands in exasperation, flopping down on the down mattress.

"It will get easier for you, sweetheart. It won't always take so much effort," he said, trying to reassure her. He passed his hand over himself and changed into his night clothes, joining her on the bed and pulling her into his arms.

Belle curled her arms around his shoulders and pulled him to rest against her shoulder. "Easy for you to say, my white mage. Everything comes easy to you."

"How long have you known that Pan is my father?" he asked, raising his head to capture her gaze.

Belle worried her lower lip. "Last time I was here, he found this," she said, reaching beneath the mattress and retrieving a drawing and handing it to him.

He stared in disbelief at his own image, a perfect likeness of himself sitting at his worktable in the Dark Castle as viewed through the open window of his tower. "Where did you get this, Belle?" he asked, waiting for her to confirm his suspicions.

"I drew it. I wanted to be able to take you with me," she smiled sheepishly. "I wanted so much to be in that tower with you, talk to you … touch you." She trailed her fingertips alongside his face. "I wanted so badly to see you smile. Not the sneering laugh you used on everyone else. I wanted to see a truly happy smile, one which would light your eyes."

"You make me happy, Belle."

"And now we're no longer bound by a wish, but true love. I have to say this is the best wish I've ever granted, because my own was fulfilled as well," she whispered brokenly, happy tears falling from her cerulean eyes. "Are you very upset with me because I know your parentage?"

"I don't want you to think I'm like him," he said, his head once again coming to rest upon her shoulder.

"You're nothing like him, Rumpel. What happened between you and Bae was a mistake, one you acknowledge. You've spent three centuries looking for you son when your own father gave you up willingly in exchange for eternal youth," she murmured with a yawn, carding her hands through his hair and rubbing soothing circles over his scalp in an effort to help him relax. She knew how difficult it was for him to be in Neverland, so close to the vile con-man who had abandoned him. "Sleep, my love. You need your strength. Tomorrow we'll find Bae and go home," she vowed.

His Belle had yet to be wrong, he thought as he drifted off to sleep, secure in her arms.

*.*.*

Two boys watched from the tree line surrounding the clearing known as Pixie Hollow, surprised to see light coming from two of the four treehouses.

"Who do you suppose is in there?" the tall blonde boy, Aaron, asked of his friend.

"I don't know. I overheard Pan talking about Tinkerbell having returned, so she must be in one of them."

"What? Did she bring friends with her this time?" he asked, taking a long drink from his canteen and passing it to the other boy.

Baelfire drank deeply of the cool water in the canteen before capping it, never taking his eyes from the second treehouse with its soft candlelight glowing behind a gauzy violet curtain. The two boys had been hiding from Pan in the jungle for weeks, trying in vain to discover some way off the island. He wondered if perhaps the new residents of Neverland could help him and his friend.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, right? Let's go ask them."


	6. Chapter 6

**VI**

Rumpelstiltskin forced himself to remain still as he felt the wards ripple around the trapdoor in the floor of the treehouse. He hadn't been willing to lie down with Belle without some form of protection to safeguard their sleep. Pan and his motley band of lost boys were not to be trusted and he would not put his Belle at risk. The leg she had thrown over his hip tightened minutely, and he wondered if she had sensed it, too. There were two of them, non-magic wielders, so he didn't have to worry it was Pan coming to kill them in their sleep.

"Who do you think they are?"

"I don't know. Do I look like the welcoming committee?"

 _Oh, these two are just brilliant!_ Rumpelstiltskin thought as he listened to the boys whisper between themselves. He was no longer sniggering silently to himself as the two boys threw a net over him and his beloved and pulled the ends tight. Belle let out a blood-curdling scream which set his ears to ringing as she came awake to find herself trapped and two strange boys standing over her. He was torn between freeing her and calming her fear or dealing with the two interlopers. Trapped as he was between Belle and the net, he was left with little recourse but to use magic, disappearing in a swirl of blue smoke … _well, that's different…_

"Can we keep the girl? She's pretty," Aaron snickered loudly to be heard over Belle's screeching. "Wonder if she knows how to cook."

He didn't hear the other boy's response as he reappeared behind the blonde boy holding the net tightly in his hands and cuffed him on the back of the head. With a flick of his wrist the boys were rendered immobile, although he still couldn't see the darker boy who lurked just outside the glow of the candle.

" _NO_ one will be keeping my Belle. She's mine!" he hissed angrily, moving around the boy to yank the end of the net from his hands to free Belle.

Once freed, she sat up and pulled the sheet up to her chin to preserve her modesty, glaring at the leering boy. "Darling, don't hurt them, they're just children."

Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes on the ragamuffin standing wide eyed before him, not feeling the least bit charitable. "They seem old enough to appreciate your beauty, dearest."

Belle arched a brow and bit her lip to keep from giggling. "And I suppose you have no memory of yourself at that age?"

His response was a huff and a shrug of his shoulders. At fifteen he'd been too concerned with making a living to stave off starvation to worry about chasing skirts. "You," he said, pointing a long finger at the boy. "Have a seat." Aaron flopped uselessly in the chair next to the small table and would have been shaking violently with fear if he could have moved at all. Rumpelstiltskin turned his attention to the other boy still hidden in the shadows and set him in the second chair.

Baelfire stared at his father, disbelief written clearly on his grimy features. A similar expression lit Rumpelstiltskin's face. "Bae," he breathed, releasing his son from his magic and hauling him into his arms. "Oh, Bae."

"P-Papa, can't b-breathe," Baelfire croaked. He took in a great gulp of air as his father released him to cup his face in his large hands. "Papa, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Rumpelstiltskin cast a blinding smile in Belle's direction before his eyes returned to his son. "Belle found a way to find you, to bring you home." He was unmindful of the tears which sprang forth from his eyes to roll unchecked down his face as he pulled his son against his chest and buried his nose in the unruly curls atop his crown. "Bae, I'm so sorry, son. A day hasn't gone by that I haven't tried to find a way to bring you home. I'm so sorry I let you go."

Belle wiped her tears on the edge of the sheet, unable to take her eyes off the sheer happiness blooming on his face as he cradled his son close to his heart.

"You've come to take me home?" Bae asked hopefully, wishing for nothing more than to be away from Neverland and Pan's influence.

"Oh, yes, Bae. I want you to come home with us, to be the family you should have had so long ago. I want to watch you grow up and I want you to be happy. If that is also what you wish?"

Baelfire studied his father carefully before asking, "What happened to your curse? You used magic on us, but you don't look like the Dark One anymore."

Belle rose from the bed and moved closer to the pair. "He's not the Dark One any longer, Baelfire. His curse has been broken and now he's simply a white mage. He has good magic … light magic … now that he's been freed from his curse."

"How did you break it, Papa? I thought the only way to rid you of the demon was to go to a land without magic. That's what the Blue Fairy told me," he argued.

Rumpelstiltskin gnashed his teeth together at the mention of that loathsome creature. "Rheul Ghorm is not the benevolent spirit you believe her to be, Bae. Belle and I found another way to break my curse. I never thought it was possible to find someone who could love me the way I was, until Belle."

"True love's kiss broke his curse, Baelfire," Belle said, looking up adoringly at her beloved.

Baelfire blushed and ducked his head sheepishly before asking, "So … uh … does this mean you're going to be like my mom or something?"

Rumpelstiltskin blushed four shades of red as Belle and Baelfire looked at him expectantly. "I … ah … I think that's a discussion best left for when we get home." He squeezed Baelfire's shoulder. "Does this mean you'll consider coming home with us, Bae? Let me be the father I should have been before?"

"All I ever wanted was my papa back. I'm still mad at you for not coming with me, but … I wanna go home. We can work on getting better together if you want," Baelfire offered his father a timid smile.

"It's more than I hoped for," Rumpelstiltskin admitted, embracing his son once more. It had been so long since he'd held his son in his arms, he knew it would be a long time - and many awkward moments for Baelfire - before he would be able to restrain himself.

Baelfire cast a pointed look between his father and the boy sitting frozen at the table. "Do you … um … think Aaron might be able to come, too? I really don't want to leave him here with Pan."

Belle spoke up with a bright smile curving her lips. "What do you think, Rumpel? You have more than enough room in the Dark Castle."

With a snap of his fingers, the boy was free. Rumpelstiltskin ruffled Baelfire's hair and said, "I think that be arranged."

Pan watched from the deep shadows of the jungle tree line as his son prepared to depart with the fairy and two of his lost boys. _Pathetic little larvae_ , he thought as he took in Rumpelstiltskin's human form. He'd had the power of the Dark One at his command and the only thing he'd cared about was finding his wastrel runaway son. But he could yet be useful.

"You're just going to let them go?" a sepulchral voice intoned from above. "I thought you were going to use the boy to sustain your youth."

Pan laughed, a roguish grin splitting his face. Rumpelstiltskin was waiting for Belle to say goodbye to Tinkerbell who she hadn't been able to convince to leave with them. The boys were antsy, shifting nervously as they too waited, ready to depart. Finally, Rumpelstiltskin had a firm grip on both Belle and Baelfire, Aaron holding tightly to Bae. Belle threw the bean, opening the portal and moments later, they disappeared from view. Pan looked up at the shadow hovering above him, the spirit of Neverland which had shown him the way to eternal youth. Abandoning his son had been a small price to pay to be young forever. It wasn't until later he'd discovered the price he would have to pay.

"Baelfire would have sustained me for what … a year, maybe two? I can find others to take his place until the time comes to claim the one who can sustain me forever," he remarked confidently, turning back to head to his hut.

"A child who has yet to be born. You don't even know what realm to search for her in," the shadow sneered.

Pan stopped and glared at the ominous figure who seemed to revel in taunting him. "Oh, but I do. My son is in love with a fairy, both of them unlimited in power. That combined with true love? The potential of a child from such magical parents born of true love … the possibilities are endless. My worthless son will finally do something worthwhile and I will be there to reap the benefits." He continued on in the direction of his camp, his maniacal laughter following in his wake. "I simply have to be patient and bide my time."

*.*.*

Two weeks later …

Belle opened the food locker and began searching the shelves for the cherry preserves she knew were in there … unless those boys had somehow gotten to them before she could put them to good use in the pie she wanted to make. It was a good thing both she and her true love were purveyors of magic, otherwise Baelfire and Aaron would have surely eaten them out of house and home by now. She understood they were growing boys, especially since they actually had a chance to grow now, being free of Neverland, but she'd never seen anyone put away so much food.

They were adjusting well, or at least she thought they were. They'd been given rooms down the hall from the one she shared with Rumpelstiltskin in the west wing and they seemed happy with them, neither of them used to such luxury, but they would get used to it. Baelfire's expression of stunned incredulity upon arriving at the castle had quickly given way to curiosity as he and his friend had set off to explore. He hardly ever got lost anymore.

The boys spent most of their days at the stables with the horses she hadn't even known Rumpelstiltskin owned or down at the lake near the rear of his vast property. Baelfire liked to take walks down to the village to spend the coin his father pressed on him, but it was more for a treat than to just spend it all unwisely. Rumpelstiltskin had raised the boy right before Baelfire had disappeared.

Her beloved had been concerned Baelfire wouldn't be accepted in the small village at the bottom of the mountain, afraid he would be shunned for being the son of the Dark One. But the more time Baelfire spent with the villagers, the more they welcomed him. It didn't hurt that Rumpelstiltskin was no longer the Dark One. He'd even made new friends. They weren't yet brave enough to visit the boys at the castle, but he had friends to spend his afternoons with when he visited the village. She was happy for Baelfire and Aaron who had suffered so many hardships on the island. They never spoke of it, but she was wise to the signs, having spent a period of banishment there herself.

Even Rumpelstiltskin was finally beginning to relax and adjust to having his son home. There were times when he would look at Baelfire with such sadness and she would have to coax him from his melancholy. and then there were times when he would relax and open himself up just to having fun with his boy, something he hadn't been able to do in their previous life. It had all been about work and trying to keep food on the table and clothes on their backs. Now he had time to indulge in the simple joys of life they'd missed out on and he seemed happier for it.

Her own role in his life was the only thing she worried over. She tended their home, showered love and affection on her 'sons' and shared the master's bed - to sleep, mind you - but she felt sometimes she was intruding. She knew she shared true love with Rumpelstiltskin, but he was holding back from her and she couldn't fathom why. He'd even attempted to sleep apart from her when they'd returned from Neverland, wanting to set a good example for the boys. They weren't married, after all.

He'd banished himself to a guest room only to find himself seeking her out in the wee hours, plagued by nightmares and unable to achieve even a fitful sleep. He would come to her then and let her envelop him in her embrace, drifting off to sleep with a contented smile on his lips. If she wanted any semblance of affection other than the few chaste kisses when they said goodnight, she had to seek him out in one of his many hiding places and take him by surprise. But before their heavy petting could escalate into something more, he would vanish and not reappear until she served dinner.

Belle stamped her foot in frustration. Damnit, she wanted more! She wanted to explore the passion and desire he'd awakened in her and she was tired of waiting. That was why she was surprised when the arms of her love slipped around her waist from behind and pulled her back against his chest. She was instantly suspicious because he had sought her out this time. Although, any coherent thoughts she might have had flew right out the window as his lips found the hollow of her neck and shoulder, leaving a trail of hot open-mouthed kisses along the side of her neck to her ear where he nipped gently at the lobe.

"What are you doing hiding in the food locker, dearest?" he asked, his hot breath tickling her ear and sending a wave of gooseflesh erupting along her skin.

"Um … no, I … I wasn't hiding," she breathed, biting back a whimper as his hands spanned her trim waist and slid along her ribs, his thumbs brushing the underside of her breasts.

He caught the jar of cherry preserves as it slipped from her trembling hands and chuckled lowly in her ear. He turned her in his arms and nipped gently at her lower lip. "You can bake later," he teased, his hands sliding down the bare skin of her arms to take her hands in his and lead her from the pantry.

"But Jefferson is coming for dinner and I still have to prepare dessert," she protested, not sure if she was up for one of their heavy petting sessions. The level of her frustration was at its peak and she couldn't trust her level of control not to attack him.

"Come with me, Belle. A nice walk in the garden will be a nice respite before dinner," he murmured, his voice taking on the coaxing tone he knew she had a hard time resisting.

She pursed her lips in indecision before giving in and taking the arm he offered. "Alright, Rumpel," she murmured, smiling indulgently up at him. "Where are the boys this afternoon?"

"Oh, they went to the village, but they'll be back shortly. Just a small errand," he said, brushing it off as unimportant. But Belle knew better. He was practically vibrating with tension as he led her forward to sit on her favorite stone bench at the very center of the rose garden, the scents of hundreds of blooms perfuming the summer breeze.

"I thought the three of you went into town this morning. Why would they need to return?" she asked, eying him suspiciously.

"Never mind that now, dear heart." He sat beside her on the bench and took her hands between his larger ones, enveloping them in his warmth. "I need to discuss something with you."

Belle's face fell, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. "Blessed Fae, you're going to send me away, aren't you? You've let your fears get the better of you and you're going to make me leave you. Damnit, Rumpelstiltskin, I won't have it! Do you hear m —"

His lips crashed down onto hers, cutting of her diatribe and replacing it with a kiss which put her fears to rest. When she was suitably wrecked and incapable of speech, he kissed the tip of her nose and rested his brow against hers. "It would be easier to fall upon my own dagger - should I still have it - than it would be to send you away. I will never give you up, my Belle, and I will never ask you to leave."

"Then what is this all about?" she asked, willing her heart to cease its rapid flight in her chest.

For a man who was a master of words, he was finding it difficult to find the right ones to say to her now. "Belle, I have never been an easy man to love, but I never thought I would be gifted with someone like you … someone who could see past the monster to the man beneath."

"I told you, Rumpel, you're not a monster," she declared, brushing a stray lock of his brown hair away from his eyes.

"Belle, this is rather difficult. Could you please stop interrupting?"

"Sorry," she blushed, schooling her features into a look of profound attention. She was certain he could hear her thundering heart.

"I've done so many horrible things, I've killed and maimed innocents, I've made husbands and wives turn against each other. Why are you shaking your head? Don't you think I am well aware of what I've done in the past?" he asked, arching an irritated brow at her.

"The Dark One made you do it," she proclaimed, nodding confidently.

"Regardless!" he huffed in exasperation. "I am not worthy of you."

"Don't you think that should be my decision? I am perfectly capable of giving my heart to whom I choose."

"Belle!"

Belle clamped her lips together in a firm line to keep the smile, which so desperately wanted to appear, at bay. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Alright!"

A new voice sounded from somewhere over the hedge. "Will you just ask her already, Papa?!" Belle's shoulders shook with silent laughter as Rumpelstiltskin turned to scowl at the hedge where their boys were no doubt eavesdropping.

"I swear, no privacy whatsoever," he grumbled. But he was smiling nervously as he turned back to her. "What I'm trying to say is that I wish I had made my wish eons ago. You brought happiness and light into my life when I didn't think it was possible. But the best thing …the most unexpected … was your love. I love you so much, my Belle. I want you by my side, in our home and in my heart … forever." He brushed the stray tear away which escaped the corner of her eye and dropped down to one knee. He held her hand tightly in his and pressed a lingering kiss to her palm as he withdrew a ring from the pocket of his waistcoat. "Honor me and be my wife? Have me as your husband and let me love you forever?"

"Oh, Rumpel," she breathed, happy tears cascading over her flushed face. "I love you, too. Yes, I will marry you." She had no words to describe the beauty of the ring he slid onto her finger, the band a shining braided gold. It was the perfect complement to the large amethyst stone set at its center and flanked by two square cut diamonds.

Cheers erupted from the hedge and Belle realized there was too much noise to be coming from their two boys alone. Rumpelstiltskin swept her up in his arms and claimed her lips in another soul-searing kiss, causing her to forget they had an audience.

Baelfire was the first to clap his father on the back. "Well, it took you long enough," he teased. He hugged Belle warmly and asked, "Does this mean I can call you Mama?"

Belle planted a kiss on his cheek and chucked him under his chin, smiling. "You may call me anything you wish, Bae."

"I didn't hear you tell her about the other part of the surprise," Jefferson said, coming up behind her and smacking a kiss loudly to her cheek.

"Yeah, Pop, you didn't tell her the parson is waiting in the Great Hall ready to perform the ceremony," Aaron said with a wide grin as Rumpelstiltskin shot a pained expression at his beloved.

Belle was naturally horrified. "Rumpelstiltskin, you didn't," she gasped, looking down at the serviceable brown gown she was wearing, not at all appropriate for a rushed impromptu wedding. "It's going to take me hours to get ready and I still haven't finished dinner and I don't have a dress and —"

Everyone began talking at once, each offering their services in a different way. Rumpelstiltskin ushered Belle into the castle and up to their chambers to soak in the mammoth tub in their bathing chamber, assuring her a dress worthy of a queen would be waiting for her when she emerged. Bae and Aaron set about preparing dessert with the help of the castle's magical food locker and one of Belle's many books on cookery.

Jefferson took it upon himself to entertain the parson, who was more than a bit jittery being in the former Dark One's home. After a few glasses of Rumpelstiltskin's very fine stock of elfin made wine, he seemed to relax and enjoy the hatter's warped sense of humor. Which left Rumpelstiltskin to prepare for the wedding with a huge satisfied grin on his face.

An hour before sunset, Jefferson escorted the bride to the orchard where an arch covered in the most beautiful white roses she'd ever seen waited beneath the cherry blossom trees. Her jewel bright eyes fell on her beloved and admired the care he always took with his appearance, the tight black leather breeches and simple white shirt with a deep violet brocade vest, complimenting his form. He waited for her beneath the arch with the parson, Bae and Aaron at his side in their finery.

Rumpelstiltskin felt his mouth go dry as he got his first glimpse of his bride. She could have come to him wearing a burlap sack and still he would have thought her the most beautiful woman in the realm. He'd chosen an empire-waisted gown with cup sleeves, the bodice adorned with intricate bead work and the long gauzy skirt free to flow easily about her shapely legs. But he hadn't thought his love would look quite right in virginal white … even though he knew her to be a maiden. No, he'd insisted the seamstress choose the lightest shade of lavender from her array of fabrics. Only the vibrant violet sash beneath the bodice of her dress added any additional color. It reminded him of the skimpy little costume she had worn as her fairy attire, the same little dress which had brought no end of fantasies to life in his mind, day in and day out.

The ceremony was a blur for the couple, Bae having to nudge his father in the back to urge him to repeat the vows the parson spoke. He was still in a daze that his lovely Belle had agreed to spend her life and beyond with him … forever she had promised, and he would do everything in his power to make sure not a day passed where he didn't make her deliriously happy … as happy as she made him. He had a family, his sons … and he'd never expected Aaron to become such a part of their lives … his wife so filled with light and love, and his friend … annoying though he may be at times.

A kiss born of true love sealed their vows, making everything vibrant and rich, from color to taste to smell as he kissed her with all the love he possessed in his heart. Bae cleared his throat, Jefferson sniggered, and Aaron coughed, but he refused to release her.

"Gods, man! Let the woman breathe," Jefferson drawled dryly.

Belle was a brilliant shade of pink and quite breathless when he finally pulled away to smile down into her misty eyes. They accepted a round of congratulations from their children and the hatter and invited the parson back to the castle for dinner, but he declined, ready to be away from the former Dark One. Rumpelstiltskin, using his magic, summoned the carriage to take the man back to the village … along with a heavy gold purse in thanks.

Much later, after dinner and dancing and offering a very inebriated hatter a guest room, Belle protested as Rumpelstiltskin scooped her up into his arms and hurriedly took the stairs to their bedchamber. "I'm perfectly capable of walking, you know?"

"I wouldn't want you to trip on the train of your gown, dearest. You might fall and break something," he teased, his nose crinkling as he grinned devilishly. "If you're to spend an unspecified time in bed, I can think of more pleasant things than an injury to keep you there."

"Oh, I quite agree, my husband," she giggled as he kicked the door open and carried her inside.

He let her slowly slide down his body as he released her legs and moved his arms to wind about her waist, holding her against him. "My wife. I rather like the sound of that."

"I love you, Rumpelstiltskin," she cooed, as his hands worried at the buttons on the back of her gown.

"I love you, my Belle … forever," he answered, sliding his tongue along her lower lip and delving inside for a taste of her honey sweet mouth.

Belle breathed a sigh of happiness, contentment and yes, even relief. He would no longer deny her, and she had a lifetime of love and passion and desire to look forward to. One which would be worth any price she could ever pay. Sacrificing her fairyhood was a pittance compared to the happiness she could find in her husband's arms.

*.*.*

Blue scowled fiercely and disappeared from the high wall of the Dark Castle with a pop. She'd gone to confront Violet about her thievery only to witness for herself that Violet had found her happy ending. She was supposed to be miserable and unhappy. Blue had made sure she had no prospects after she'd made her human. What fairy could be happy in human form, stripped of her wings and wand? Only Violet! And to find the Dark One's curse broken … by true love's kiss, no less.

Blue screeched with frustration and the castle doors leading into the Forbidden Fortress blasted inward. It wasn't possible for the Dark One to love, much less experience _true_ love. Violet had accomplished everything she'd set out to do. She'd helped Rumpelstiltskin find his brat, had broken his curse and settled into a happy life with him. It wasn't fair!

"What could you possibly be pouting about this time, Rue?" a sinisterly sarcastic voice asked from her throne-like chair before the fire.

Blue flew forward and assumed a more human form, pacing the Agrabahan carpet before the hearth. "VIOLET!" she growled low in her throat before screeching once again.

"Really, Rue, must you behave like a child with your little tantrums?" Maleficent, the former black fairy, asked with a small smile. Oh, how she hated the sanctimonious leader of the fairies for what she'd done so many eons ago and relished seeing her upset and frothing with rage.

"So, what has your precious protégé done now?"

"She married the Dark One! She was banished and still she found happiness … with that DEMON! If I had known she had stolen from me I would have killed her instead of merely banishing her," Blue seethed. She stopped pacing and stared off into the fire, her eyes unfocused as she plotted her next move. "I will have to take steps to fix this."

"What did she steal from you, Rue?" Maleficent asked curiously. She knew all too well what had the blue fairy so discombobulated. She'd felt the power of her wand calling to her as it had become acquainted with its new mistress. Surely, Rheul must know that?

Blue straightened her shoulders and composed herself, a beatific smile wringing her pink lips. "Nothing for you to worry about, Maleficent."

The dragon witch clapped her hands and an iron cage formed around the fairy as her laughter rang throughout the stone walls of the fortress, even the tapestries seeming to quiver in fear at the vile sound. "It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with my wand, would it? Does little Violet even know I am bound to serve her now? That my wand binds me to her just as Rumpelstiltskin was bound to his dagger?"

Blue's eyes widened as she tapped her wand against the bars of the cage, hoping to free herself. The wand sparked and the magic it had held for centuries turned on its mistress and burned her hand, clattering uselessly to the floor of her prison. "NO!"

The former black fairy rose elegantly and gracefully to her feet, her hands smoothing over her purple and black robes as she smiled malevolently at the creature who had stripped her of her power and made her a slave. "The question is, my dear, what shall I do with you?"

"No, Maleficent, you can't do this. What will happen to the fae without me to guide them? They will be lost!" Blue screeched in fear.

Maleficent chuckled darkly and narrowed her eyes. "Seems to me they'll be better off without you to lead them." She grew tired of taunting the fairy and with a flick of her hand, she propelled the cage into the hearth. No longer bound to her loathsome former mistress, she was free to do what she wished to her, in this case … complete and utter destruction. The sound of Rheul Ghorm's piercing screams gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling somewhere in the region of her black heart and she sighed in contentment. She had a new mistress to learn about, one completely oblivious to the power she held in the palm of her hand.

With a whistle, she called her faithful raven to her and petted a hand over his sleek black feathers. "I have a new task for you, my pet. I wish for you to watch over my new mistress and report back to me with all haste. Violet always was a promising little thing."

The raven departed from the castle, followed through the night by his mistress's cruel laughter as she resumed her seat and watched the charred remains of Rhuel Ghorm roast in her hearth. Perhaps she would let Violet have a taste of happiness before she decided what to do with her. There was always that sleeping beauty she could toy with for a while.

THE END

 **A/N:** Well, my lovelies, what did you think? Was it worth the read? I cannot WAIT to hear your comments on this chapter and overall. I really wanted to leave it open in case I decided to add a few o/s later on. But for now, this is it! I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing and following and favoriting. Again, all my love to you all, my dearies!

Brittany … I really hope you enjoyed this, my girl, because I had so much fun writing it for you. And thank you for being such a wonderful friend.


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